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We all make spontaneous hand movements, called gestures, when we talk. These cospeech gestures are produced in rhythm with our speech and are related to the meaning of what we are saying. For example, when talking about attending a piano recital, you might move your fingers right and left in front of you to illustrate what playing a piano looks like.

There are several different types of gestures that serve different purposes. Some gestures describe objects or actions, like the piano example above. These are called iconic gestures, because they create a picture. Sometimes our gestures do not make pictures, but they move in rhythm with our speech. These are called beat gestures, because they follow the beat of our speech. For example, you might flick both wrists downward when saying the word amazing in the following sentence: "The recital was amazing." These gestures can help the speaker emphasise certain words.

Hand gestures are not just hand waving. Gestures can also enhance learning in children who view and make them. Children's gestures reveal when they are on the cusp of understanding a new concept. An important unanswered question that scientists are still trying to figure out is how? How do gestures help learning? Even though we do not yet have an answer to this, scientists have some ideas. One possibility is that gestures offer a visual way to communicate ideas that can complement what children hear or say with spoken language. Instead of just hearing something in speech, children get to see it as well.

Another possibility is that gestures help children focus their attention on the most important points of what is being learned, at exactly the right time. Gestures increase the chance that the children will know exactly which part of the equation the teacher is talking about. Finally, it is also possible that gestures help memory by engaging more parts of the brain. Gesturing engages the motor parts of the brain in addition to the parts of the brain already active for producing language. Engagement of multiple brain areas may lead to better, deeper learning.

Gestures come along for free with our speech and can play a critical role in helping children learn. By continuing to study gestures, we will better understand how we can help children learn.

What could be better than enjoying pristine water views aboard a luxurious cruise ship? How about floating leisurely across the skies inside a palatial airship that promises a bird's-eye view of our gorgeous planet? If British aerospace firm Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has its way, you will soon not only be floating amid the clouds but also heading to remote, unexplored destinations.

Measuring an astounding 302 feet long - 60 feet longer than the world's largest passenger plane, the A380, the hybrid vehicle combines the features of an aircraft and an airship. The eco-friendly vehicle's unique shape and helium-filled hull enables it to float in the skies for up to a fortnight at a time when unmanned, and five days with a crew on board. Its four propeller diesel engines provide 24 percent thrust up or down to help with landing, take-off, or when the plane is hovering.

While similar to the Zeppelin, which first took flight in 1900, three years before the Wright brothers conducted their historic flight, it is not as dangerous. That's because the Zeppelin was kept afloat by hydrogen, which explodes if exposed to even relatively low levels of oxygen. Helium, which boasts 92% of the lifting power of hydrogen, does not catch fire.

Devised in partnership with Design Q, the opulent airship will feature large bedrooms with attached bathrooms that resemble those of a five-star hotel and a spacious bar where guests will be able to enjoy fine dining and drinks. The highlight - at least for those who don't suffer from acrophobia - will be the Infinity Lounge, which will have both a glass ceiling and floor, promising guests breathtaking, 360-degree views. The airship's "slow" speed of 91mph will allow passengers to thoroughly immerse themselves in the experience.

However, before HAV can start taking reservations for these once-in-a-lifetime excursions, the company must first demonstrate that the airship can fly incidentfree for 200 hours. While the Airlander 10 has had its share of hiccups with an unsuccessful first flight in 2016 and a collapse in November 2017, its past six trips have been incident-free. So, it is just a matter of time before the massive airships will be allowed to carry tourists to exciting locations around the world.