A coating to make body armour impervious to bullets, lasers, microbes and even poison gas is being developed in the US from the same material as shrimp shells. Chitin is a robust natural material which forms the shells of crustaceans, protects butterfly wings and is found in mushroom cells. The material is a naturally occurring, and … Read more
Healthy lifestyle may protect against dementia: Not smoking, avoiding alcohol and exercising more ‘cuts the risk of the memory-robbing disorder by a THIRD’ The study by Dutch academics followed 6,000 people for an average of 14 years They found having unhealthy habits raises the risk of dementia by around 29% But an unhealthy lifestyle ‘made … Read more
More people are becoming confident enough to book holidays with April and May 2021 now the most popular months to book a trip abroad on a package holiday, research shows. With coronavirus concerns plaguing the industry, many have held off booking holidays, unsure of when they would be safe to travel – and whether they … Read more
Some corals emit a ‘sunscreen’ in the form of a dazzling colourful display in a ‘fight for survival’ against rising sea temperatures, according to new research. Coral bleaching – the process of coral expelling algae triggered by hotter waters – usually turns coral a ghostly shade of white. But some bleaching corals undergo what had … Read more
Men have evolved to grow beards in order to protect their jaws from incoming punches from foes, a study has found. Facial hair is the most evident manifestation of sexual dimorphism — physical differences between males and females — in humans. But its actual purpose has long remained an enigma, with some researchers claiming its purpose … Read more
Ill winds: Keeping six feet apart may not be enough to protect people from COVID-19 during blustery weather, study shows Researchers simulated what happens to saliva droplets when coughed out Many factors affect saliva spread — including droplet size, wind and humidity The model found that droplets can travel over 16 feet in a breeze … Read more
Not so crafty! Furious swan chases fox into lake after it tries to steal cygnets from her nest The swan leaped at the fox at Willen Lake in Milton Keynes to protect her young Incredible images were caught on camera by Lee Michael Willcocks, 47 Mr Willcocks from Milton Keynes described experience as ‘extremely intense’ … Read more
A bitter row over alleged censorship at The Guardian grew last night as it emerged a piece written by David Hockney was discussed at the highest level before being refused by the paper. The artist became embroiled in a row with the newspaper after it refused to publish his controversial opinion that smoking could protect … Read more
A group of intelligent dogs have been trained to protect South Africa‘s wildlife – and have already saved 45 rhinos from being poached. Every breed of dog from beagle to bloodhound have been used to protect the endangered species from poachers. The dogs begin training from birth and learn how to handle all the pressures … Read more
Heat-resistant algae is developed by scientists to protect endangered coral reefs from bleaching as ocean temperatures rise due to climate change Researchers took algae from coral and exposed it to increasingly warm water They did this over four years until it could resist water heated up to 88 degrees F The algae was placed back … Read more