It’s time to start returning vanished native animals to Britain, says John Vesty There is a poem, written around 598 AD, which describes hunting a mystery animal called a llewyn. But what was it? Nothing seemed to fit, until 2006, when an animal bone, dating from around… Read More »Bring back the big cats
From our earliest origins, man has been making use of glass. Historians have discovered that a type of natural glass – obsidian – formed in places such as the mouth of a volcano as a result of the intense heat of an eruption melting sand… Read More »The History of Glass
Neuroscientist Jonah Lehrer considers the emotional power of music Why does music make us feel? One the one hand, music is a purely abstract art form, devoid of language or explicit ideas. And yet, even though music says little, it still manages to touch us… Read More »Music and the emotions
A While many diseases that affect humans have been eradicated due to improvements in vaccinations and the availability of healthcare, there are still areas around the world where certain health issues are more prevalent. In a world that is far more globalised than ever before,… Read More »The Intersection of Health Sciences and Geography
An airborne reintroduction programme has helped conservationists take significant steps to protect the endangered Galápagos tortoise. A Forests of spiny cacti cover much of the uneven lave plains that separate the interior of the Galápagos island of Isabela from the Pacific Ocean. With its five… Read More »Flying tortoises
A According to the latest figures, the majority of the world’s population is now bilingual or multilingual, having grown up speaking two or more languages. In the past, such children were considered to be at a disadvantage compared with their monolingual peers. Over the past… Read More »The Benefits of Being Bilingual
An explorer’s encounter with the ruined city of Machu Picchu, the most famous icon of the Inca civilsation A When the US explorer and academic Hiram Bingham arrived in South America in 1911, he was ready for what was to be the greatest achievement of… Read More »The Lost City
Synthesis of an online debate* A Two things distinguish food production from all other productive activities: first, every single person needs food each day and has a right to it; and second, it is hugely dependent on nature. These two unique aspects, one political, the… Read More »The risks agriculture faces in developing countries
A ‘I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any subject.’ That was the founder’s motto for Cornell University, and it seems an apt characterization of the different university, also in the USA, where I currently teach philosophy. A student can… Read More »What’s the purpose of gaining knowledge?
Collecting must be one of the most varied of human activities, and it’s one that many of us psychologists find fascinating. Many forms of collecting have been dignified with a technical name: an archtophilist collects teddy bears, a philatelist collects postage stamps, and a deltiologist… Read More »COLLECTING AS A HOBBY
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