This week has been a very mixed bag of stories on the science desk. It began with a story about the HPV virus (Human Papillomavirus) and Michael Douglas’ throat cancer, which he claimed he developed through oral sex. Then came a study by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists which raised the “potential but […]
October 17, 2012
It makes for bleak reading but 25 species of primates are on the brink of extinction because of destructive human activity. The stark warning comes following a report published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature at the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity in the Indian city of Hyderabad. Six of the severely […]
June 6, 2011
They say good things come in small packages and one new species recently discovered is so small it weighs the same as just three cups of cereal. A feather-weight among primates, Berthe’s mouse lemur (Microcebus berthae), is 10cm long and weighs around 30g. This primate is so small it even trumps the pygmy marmoset (Cebuella […]
May 8, 2011
Sir Richard Branson’s pie in the sky idea to import lemurs from breeding zoos around the world and release them on a pristine island in the Caribbean has been put on hold…..again! Good intentions aside, conservationists will no doubt be breathing a huge sigh of relief at this latest news, which whipped up quite a […]
April 23, 2011
Flying while pregnant can be risky according to doctors. Flying to an exotic location without the necessary inoculations can also be risky. So if you’re a pregnant lemur due to jet off to the British Virgin Islands and haven’t had your jabs, don’t bother packing, you’re not going anywhere. Sir Richard Branson’s plans to import […]
April 19, 2011
Sir Richard Branson is used to making headlines. His maverick approach to business catapulted him into the big league and secured his status as one of the world’s most influential entrepreneurs. But his latest idea to help save the lemurs of Madagascar has sparked controversy. The British tycoon admits it’s “a radical idea” but wants […]
March 11, 2011
Like most women I spend far too much money on cosmetics and beauty products. I’m a sucker for anything that tells me it will stave off the ageing process that little bit longer. But the reality is no matter how much jojoba; aloe vera; goji and acai berries there are in my face cream, ageing […]
March 2, 2011
Madagascar has been separated from East Africa for more than 100 million years. It’s the fourth biggest island in the world after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo. You can just see Mozambique peeking out on the left-hand side of this map. It might not look far, but there’s just over 6,000km between the two countries. The […]
June 9, 2013
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