50km from the Slovenian capital city of Ljubljana lies Postojna Cave, a 24km-long cave system, and is home to the rare and bizarre amphibian called the olm. These amphibians are thought to live for over a century but rarely reproduce, laying eggs only once or twice a decade. This year an exciting discovery was found…
Travel
Plan ahead and save yourself the nerves
Travelling alone can be a daunting prospect, especially if you’re travelling in an area that you’re unfamiliar with. However, there are many ways to combat those nerves before setting off on your next adventure, but the best by far is writing an itinerary before embarking on your trip. The best way to write your itinerary…
Science
European Space Agency ceases attempts to contact the Philae lander
Scientists from the European Space Agency (ESA) have ceased attempts to contact the comet lander named Philae after over seven months of silence from the robot. The robotic lander, named after one of the obelisks used to decipher ancient hieroglyphics, was dropped on Comet 67P as part of the Rosetta mission in November 2014. Once…
Science
Outbreak of the Zika virus in the Americas
At the beginning of the month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that the disease linked to the Zika virus had reached the level of a global emergency. This infection has been linked to cases of microcephaly, a condition where babies are born with underdeveloped brains, causing the head to be smaller in size compared…
Science
New discovery suggests earlier human presence in the Arctic
Scientists from the Russian Academy of Science in Saint Petersburg have discovered a well-preserved mammoth carcass in Northwest Siberia. The bones of the extinct animal display distinctive cut marks, which could only have come from hunting and butchery tools made from stone and ivory materials. This discovery has allowed anthropologists and scientists to suggest that…
Travel
Durban: the tropical heart of South Africa’s hustle and bustle
In KwaZulu Natal, one of the smaller provinces of South Africa, Durban is the second largest city and also one of the busiest in the country. Although it may be one of the more obscure holiday locations for many a British holidaymaker or traveller, this jewel of a city on the east coast is perfect…
Science
Anti-parasitic drug discoveries win the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine
Malaria and river blindness are two of the most pressing issues when we talk about health and disease on a global scale, especially in Africa. Both diseases are contracted following a bite from an insect that is playing host to the causative parasite. The insects in question are Simulium black flies in the case of…
Travel
The ultimate guide for student travellers
If it’s your first time travelling, it can be a bit daunting to start with. Getting off the plane into sometimes a completely alien environment, whether it be the hustle and bustle of streets in Bangkok or Phnom Penh, the noise from all the traffic around Addis Ababa, or even just sheer task of trying…
Travel
Spending Christmas on Cat Ba Island
After spending the autumn traveling around South East Asia, one would start to think about where the perfect place would be to spend Christmas. Located 160 miles away from the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, or a two hour taxi plus a couple of hours on a speedboat, you can reach the picturesque Cat Ba Island. The…
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