The Looking Glass

RIAN DATTA (L6) Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) are a powerful asset used in the field of cryptography that allow a party (the prover) to demonstrate to another party (the verifier) that they have access to a certain piece of information, without having to reveal the information itself. Since its first appearance in an MIT paper titled “The knowledge complexity of interactive proof systems” (written by Shafi Goldwasser and Silvio Micali in 1985), ZKPs have quickly become one of the most commonly used methods for keeping data secure online; even being implemented by companies ranging from Visa to Apple. But, why? In this article, the mystery of ZKPs will be unveiled as you learn the fundamentals of how they function, what they’re currently used for - including potential future applications - and their drawbacks.  You’re probably wondering how something so counterintuitive can actually exist and, although it may seem like technology straight out of a science-fiction movie, ZKPs use real...

KIAN SHAH (L6) When we hear the term “cannabis”, what tends to come to mind? Our neuro associations would probably link it to mental health problems like anxiety and depression. Despite this, cannabis is legalised in many developing and developed countries. Our knowledge of the harm caused by cannabis is incomplete; the lack of clear cut and definitive data can make it hard for ourselves and leaders of different countries to assess the risks and benefits of making cannabis legal. So why exactly is cannabis currently illegal in the UK? Cannabis is considered as a class B drug, which means it is considered to have a high potential for abuse and to be harmful to the user. Possession of cannabis is punishable by up to 5 years in prison, while supplying or producing the drug can lead to a 14 year prison sentence. There are a number of reasons why cannabis is illegal in the UK. One reason is that it is believed to have negative effects on physical and mental health. Cannabis can cause a rang...

  IONUT CHIRU (L6) This article placed 1st in the Sixth Form category of the History Witold Pilecki Essay Competition 2022. The Hungarian Uprising of 1956 was a revolt in Budapest as a result of political instability brought about by the death of Stalin in 1953  coupled with the lack of essential supplies, culminating in the overthrow of the Communist government and the appointment of Imre Nagy as the ruler of the country. On the 1st of November, Nagy announced to the protestors a wave of reforms, including his decision to take Hugnary out of the Warsaw Pact- promoting a massive Soviet invasion of Hungary with around 60,000 troops between the 3rd and 4th of November. This brutal invasion led to the deaths of between 2,000-20,0000 Hungarian civilians and the execution of Nagy two years later as the newly reinstated Communist government under Janos Kadar reasserted control of Hungary once again.  In isolation, this surface summary of the Uprising tells of an extraordin...

CHARLIE PADGHAM (Y11) This article placed 1st in the KS4 category of the History Witold Pilecki Essay Competition 2022. The definition of a war is ‘a state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country’. The fact that a war is a ‘state of armed conflict’ will already create problems due to its inherent destructive nature creating economic hardship, many tragedies and often much social change for many people across the aforementioned conflict. Due to these issues for the populous of many states, causing or partaking in a war is an extremely tough decision to make and is never taken lightly. Over 108 million people were killed in wars across the 20th Century alone with estimates of deaths in wars across human history racking close in number to a billion. In the past 3,400 years, only 268 of them have been at peace. Just 8% of recorded history. War also costs countries unfathomable sums of money. WW2 cost the US 3 trillion dollars. The equivalent o...