The Know Daily - Wednesday 1 April 2026

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New AI-powered smart glasses can help people living with dementia by giving prompts, reminders and real-time guidance to help with daily tasks and conversations. The idea has just won a £1m prize, helping bring the technology one step closer to wider use. 👏

🌕 Artemis II

There have been lots of headlines around NASA’s Artemis II mission – the first crewed journey towards the Moon since the Apollo era. Here’s what you need to know.

When is the launch date?
Artemis II is currently aiming to launch this week. The mission will carry four astronauts – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen – on a roughly 10-day journey around the Moon. They’ll travel aboard the Orion spacecraft, launched by NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, flying a loop around the Moon before returning to Earth without landing.

What did we learn from the first mission to the moon?
The first human Moon landing, Apollo 11, proved that astronauts could travel to another world, land and return safely. Astronauts brought back samples that reshaped our understanding of how the Moon formed. The Apollo programme continued until 1972, when the final mission, Apollo 17, marked the last time humans travelled to the Moon. Since then, no-one has ventured beyond low-Earth orbit. More recently, the uncrewed Artemis I mission tested the next generation of technology. It showed that the Orion spacecraft could safely travel to lunar orbit and back, including surviving the extreme heat of re-entry. 

Why are humans returning to the moon?
This time, the Moon is a stepping stone to Mars. NASA wants to use it to test how astronauts can live and work on another world – including building habitats and producing air, water and fuel – before attempting longer missions in the 2030s. The Moon may also contain valuable resources, especially water ice in shadowed craters at the south pole, which could support future bases. There is also growing global competition, with countries like China aiming to reach the same resource-rich areas. 

What are the possible obstacles?
There are several factors that could still delay or disrupt Artemis II. One of the biggest is technical readiness. Both the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft are highly complex, and NASA has already faced delays in developing and testing key components, including life-support systems needed for a crewed mission. 

Then there’s the weather (it really does affect everything!). Conditions at the Kennedy Space Center must meet strict criteria for launch and bad weather can lead to last-minute scrubs. In fact, for this mission, almost half of all rocket launches that end up scrubbed have been because of unsafe weather.

But, if all goes ahead as planned, you can watch the launch here. 🚀

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♻️ New recycling rules come into effect today across England, aiming to simplify waste sorting and boost recycling rates across the country.

• The bigger story: Under the government’s “Simpler Recycling” scheme, councils must now collect four main types of waste separately: food and garden waste, paper and card, dry recyclables (like plastic, glass and metal) and general waste. Many homes may see extra bins or food caddies introduced, with food waste collections expected weekly. The aim is to make recycling the same nationwide, reduce confusion and improve recycling rates – with clearer guidance on what can and can’t be recycled. 

🤳 France has voted to ban social media for under-15s, stepping up efforts to protect children online.

🪸 110 new fish and invertebrate species have been discovered by marine scientists in the Coral Sea, Australia. 

👩‍🎨 A painting that has long been considered a workshop copy is actually by a famous artist, an expert has said.  

🌷 Flower tourism is on the rise – here are the top 10 destinations all green thumbs should add to their bucket list.

🎁 A physical piece of the Eiffel Tower is going up for auction in Paris later this month (it will set you back a fair bit though!).

✈️ Voice and video calls are set to be allowed onboard this airline for the first time as it breaks one of flying’s last unspoken taboos –  yes, that nightmare 🤫 

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Trivia answer: A) This animal modifies its signature whistles when communicating with their babies… just like humans!

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