It appears that tending to the friary gardens was not without its risks. Thomas Mucha/Shutterstock In the middle ages, monks, nuns, and friars had it relatively easy. They lived quiet lives within friaries and monastic complexes, reading manuscripts, praying, and tending to gardens in which they grew their own food.Continue Reading
LGieger/Shutterstock On a summer’s day at the beach, the sound of seagulls is part of the ambience. But what about when they’re in the middle of a city, or when they’ve just taken your lunch? Not a lot of people like seagulls. They’re loud, messy and quite partial to whateverContinue Reading
Parched ground is less likely to absorb water and increases the risk of dangerous flash floods. But there are ways to mitigate these conditions.Continue Reading
Kevin Gill/Flickr, CC BY-SA The ocean floor is famously less explored than the surface of Mars. And when our team of scientists recently mapped the seabed, and ancient sediments beneath, we discovered what looks like an asteroid impact crater. Intriguingly, the crater, named “Nadir” after the nearby volcano Nadir Seamount,Continue Reading
Procrastination is an all-too-common problem Yulia Grigoryeva/Shutterstock Do you ever beat yourself up for procrastinating? You might be composing that message to a friend who you have to let down, or writing a big report for school or work, and doing your best to avoid it but deep down knowingContinue Reading
African penguins end up "parroting" each other's voices Mike Korostelev/Shutterstock We’ve all known a friend who came back from holiday with a French lilt in their accent. Or noticed an American twang creeping into our voice during dinner with a friend visiting from Texas. One of us (Luigi) recently movedContinue Reading
synthetic mouse Weizmann Institute of Sciences Children, even some who are too young for school, know you can’t make a baby without sperm and an egg. But a team of researchers in Israel have called into question the basics of what we teach children about the birds and the bees,Continue Reading
WindNight/Shutterstock Trauma, such as surviving or witnessing road accidents, natural disasters and violence, can shake up our lives, challenging our core beliefs and views of the world. But this upheaval can also trigger what’s known as “post-traumatic growth” in different aspects of our lives. This can mean** a greater appreciationContinue Reading
Tithi Luadthong/Shutterstock If a distant solar system is millions of light years away and so we see it as it was millions of years ago, how can we see what it looks like now? Parul, aged 13, Sri Ganganagar, India What is the meaning of “now” and how does ourContinue Reading
Pigeons are widely treated with contempt by the public Fercast/Shutterstock If you ask people why they like their favourite animal, they will tell you about the incredible things the creature can do, its relatable characteristics or its interesting looks. Few would be likely to cite the pigeon as theirs. ManyContinue Reading
