The Simpsons and Racism?

The Simpsons have been in households all over the world since 1990, and while it's a much-loved show that's been hailed for its clever, insightful commentary, it's also faced criticism over the years. Many people say a certain character, Apu, reinforces racial stereotypes and is a negative portrayal of Indian-Americans. Which is why earlier this year, the voice behind the character, Hank Azaria, decided it was wrong to continue to play him. Now, the producers of the show have announced another big change.

The Simpsons will now no longer have white actors voice non-white characters. See, a lot of The Simpsons' well-known characters are actually voiced by white actors. A lot of people want them to be voiced by actors that are from the same background as them, and going forward, for the entertainment industry to give more opportunities to non-white performers. That's something several other white actors have decided they want to support too, and have stepped down from some of their most famous roles. We don't actually know if it means the end of those characters, or just new people playing their roles. But after more than 30 years, it does mean Springfield's set for some big changes.

NASA SUN TIMELAPSE
If you've got 61 minutes to spare, you can see exactly what the sun's been up to over the past ten years. NASA has just released an incredible time-lapse of the sun, captured by its Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft. The spacecraft's helped scientists to learn more about how the Sun affects the rest of the solar system.

SPACE TOILET
You might not think about it, but astronauts go to the toilet too. Right now, there's a couple of deep space dunnies on the International Space Station that work by using a fan to funnel out your Number 1's and Number 2's. But for Project Artemis, NASA plans to land and work on the moon, and for that, they need a brand new toilet. Past moon missions have used pipes or bags, and Neil Armstrong, well, he had to wear an adult-sized nappy!

So, NASA's keen for a more sophisticated solution, with a few extra specifications. The toilet must weigh less than 15kg, collect a litre of wee per use, and must work in lunar and microgravity. Here's where you come in, NASA has opened designs up to the public, in something called the Lunar Loo Challenge. The winning design will receive more than $25,000. So, grab a pencil and some paper, and take the plunge into intergalactic toilet design.

BACKYARD PYRAMID
Forget swing sets, sandpits and pools, a couple in Russia have decided to build a replica of the Great Pyramid of Giza in their backyard. And while it's big, it's still 19 times smaller than the original. As you can probably gather, they are a bit obsessed with Egypt, and its history. But, if that's your thing and you want to pay them a visit, It'll set you back about $70 an hour.

BACKYARD GROUNDHOG
Something that won't cost you 70 dollars an hour, but might cost you some vegetables, is Chunk the Groundhog visiting your backyard! A farmer in the US noticed veggies from his veggie patch were going missing, so he decided to set up some cameras. What he captured over the next few months was nothing short of wholesome. So wholesome in fact, that the farmer decided to let the groundhogs keep pinching his veggies, and now, there's a whole family living in his backyard. And a lot fewer veggies left to eat.

ASTRONAUT SPACEWALK
Imagine stepping outside the backdoor and seeing outer space! Well, that's just life for an astronaut on the International Space Station. Astronauts Chris Cassidy and Bob Behnken went for a little spacewalk to replace some old batteries with new lithium-ion ones. They lost a small mirror in the process, which just drifted away. So, if you're ever up in space one day and you come across a mirror, that'd be the one.

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