european cave bear

a new research has found that the european cave bear became extinct due to vegan diet. wiki link

Smoking cannabis makes you lazy, study suggests

Smoking cannabis could make you lazy, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia gave the chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main brain-affecting ingredient in cannabis, to laboratory rats.

They found this made them less willing to carry out a complex task for a large reward, with most opting for an easier one despite a smaller prize.read more

boars disorder in gloucestershire villages.

if you live linterford or yorkly village you may come across wild boars smashing into fences in search of food and ransacking wheelie bins .over a 1,000 wild boar roar the forest of dean in gloucestershire

Rare skeleton of a dodo is up for auction

A RARE skeleton of the extinct dodo is going under the hammer later this year.

It is the first to come up for auction for nearly 100 years and is already attracting widespread interest.

Summers Place Auctions in Stane Street, Billingshurst, believe the composite skeleton, which is 95 per cent complete, will be sold for a six figure sum.

It is rarer than the diplodocus dinosaur skeleton that was sold at the auction house earlier this year for £400,000.

Only one dodo skeleton exists that is made up from the bones of a single bird and the others, about a dozen, are composites made up from bones that belonged to several individuals.

Summers Place natural history curator Errol Fuller said: “Dodo skeletons are extremely rare.

“Most museums had acquired their dodos many years ago and no relatively complete skeleton has been put together since the early 20th century.

“This is an amazingly rare opportunity for the acquisition of one of the great icons of extinction.”

Bristol pirate Blackbeard's real name was NOT Edward Teach, American historian confirms

He is the world's most famous pirate, Bristol's finest and still notorious after 300 years, but now a definitive history of Blackbeard has claimed that the city has got it wrong.

Blackbeard's real name was Edward Thatch, not Edward Teach.

And not only has Bristol got the name of its most famous sons wrong all this time, but the city has misjudged the man – far from being a brutal and violent pirate, research now claims there is no evidence he ever killed or hurt anyone – apart from in the final battle where he himself died.

One of the world's leading historians, writers and researchers on the golden age of piracy – the seven or so years from 1712 when the Caribbean was effectively ruled by anarchic pirate fleets – Colin Woodard has written books on the subject and been the historical advisor on many a TV series and film.

But after visiting Bristol himself to research Blackbeard for a book called Republic of Pirates, he has broken the news that all the guidebooks, plaques, posters, notices on pubs and history books have been getting his name wrong all this time.

Blackbeard was from Bristol but was called Edward Thatch, and Mr Woodard said he found the first time a newspaper report - published in the Boston News-Letter - about the antics of the pirate got his name wrong, but it stuck.

"Of his life before, we still know very little," admitted Mr Woodard. "He went by Edward Thatch – not 'Teach' as many historians have said, apparently repeating an error made by the Boston News-Letter.read more

Holdstone Down-devon

Exmoor has the highest coastline on the British mainland, Holdstone Down peaks at 1150ft making it the highest on the North Devon coast path, and offers unbridled views of the coastline from Lundy Island in the west to Dunkery Beacon in the East. The high vantage point also allows views of the shadowy Dartmoor Tors to the South, and the industrious South Wales coast to the North.

Walking is short and easy through a high-level wilderness with ancient settlements and a history of spaceships and extra-terrestrial forces. UFO-spotters regularly gather on the summit of this ‘holy mountain’ and children will love the mysterious pebble arrows often left around the cairn by ‘alien’ visitors. An atmospheric walk in autumn, when the rust-coloured bracken is interspersed with banks of purple heather and the last of the butterflies browse among the brambles.also read

Spiderman is in North Devon - have you seen him?

SUPERHERO fans have an unusual reason to visit a small North Devon village as a famous web-slinging visitor has taken up residence there.

Mike and Julie Palmer, of Prixford, near Ilfracombe, have a life size model of Spiderman sitting outside the front of their cottage – and it has been attracting a lot of attention from passers byIt seems the resident hero has been doing good just by sitting on the spot, as Mike and Julie's two daughters, aged 7 and 9, have started charging 50p for visitors to have a photo taken with him.

They plan to donate all money raised to global children's charity Unicef at the end of the summer holidays.And the family said this was not the only positive effect of having the popular figure sitting outside the house.

They said they have also noticed a reduction in the speed of the traffic passing the house, as people slow down to get a good look at "Spidey"!