Bee with long tail

Have you ever spent a night on a hospital ward? It is quite a soundscape. And a ­soundscape that could be very stressful for patients. Not just the background hum that pierces the nightly silence but the jarring sound of an alarm, the bleeps from heart/lung machinery – all these sounds amplified by the size of wards. James Weaver, doctoral student at Queen Mary University of London has made a study of hospital “noise”, ­something he became familiar with when he stayed with his wife, who was dying of cancer. There is much we can learn from his comments, particularly the anxiety that can be induced by the noisy, stressful ambience of many hospitals. He notes that hospitals are usually large buildings with cavernous rooms. Sound is affected by the size of a room and can have a long reverberation time. This refers to the decay of a sound from its original source. The bigger the room, the longer a sound lasts. Think of a large church. The sound of music reverberates … [Read more...] about Cut down stress on hospital wards by turning down anxiety-inducing volume

A mystery big black cat has been spotted prowling around fields in Gloucestershire. The animal was seen near Ham Mill Lane in the village of Thrupp, just outside Stroud, walking through a field surrounded by trees. A man captured the creature on camera at around 11am on Wednesday before quickly fleeing the scene. The local, who wants to remain anonymous, said the animal was just 100 yards away when he took the pictures on his phone, Gloucestershire Live reports. The man said: “Unsure what the animal was but it was certainly feline in its movement. “My first thought was that it was a family dog that had maybe got out so initially I wasn’t scared at all, but once I realised what it could be I snapped a couple of pics and quickly retreated. “I’ve never seen an animal like it before but it seems plausible that a large cat could be roaming the countryside. Have you spotted a big cat prowling the countryside? Contact us at [email protected] “It seemed to be … [Read more...] about Mystery big black cat spotted prowling fields as man who took photos ‘quickly retreats’

Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway ’s husband Derek Draper was admitted to hospital in March 2020 after becoming seriously ill with Covid-19. Her husband Derek is thought to be the UK’s longest serving coronavirus inpatient. Derek has remained in hospital for the past year, and is currently said to be in a state of minimal consciousness. The journalist is set to give viewers a unique insight into her family’s trauma in new ITV documentary Kate Garraway: Finding Derek. The one-off special will take a look at how the journalist has coped on the impact of Covid-19 on her family, she will hear from other survivors of the virus, and she’ll learn more about the long-lasting effects. When is Kate Garraway documentary on ITV? Kate Garraway: Finding Derek will air on Tuesday, March 23 at 9pm on ITV. You can watch it live, and you can also catch up on the ITV Hub. What happened to Derek Draper? Former lobbyist Derek Draper became ill with Covid-19 in … [Read more...] about When is Kate Garraway documentary on husband Derek Draper’s Covid battle on ITV?

African elephants are at an increasing risk of extinction due to poaching and habitat loss, conservationists have warned. African forest elephants , which are native to West Africa and the Congo basin, have been named as a critically endangered species in a new "Red List" from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The savanna elephants, also known as the bush elephant, is the largest land animal and has been added to the endangered list by the IUCN. It is a bleak outlook for Africa's elephant population, which were previously grouped together as one species on the Red List and placed in the "vulnerable" to extinction category. These two African species were commonly seen across the continent but have significantly declined over the past few decades. Advertisement According to experts, forest elephant numbers have fallen by more than 86% over 31 years, while the bush elephant population has dropped by 60% in half a century. … [Read more...] about African elephants at risk of extinction due to poaching and habitat loss, warn conservationists

THIS is the incredible moment a ‘Godzilla’ monitor lizard climbs the shelves in a Thai chemist as shoppers scream in horror. The giant lizard emerged from a canal in the city of Nakhon Pathom and ran into the 7-Eleven store. It sparked panic as it climbed onto shelves and tossed several cartons of milk onto the ground. A worried shop assistant called the police, who arrived with reptile handlers to snare the ferocious monitor lizard, early yesterday afternoon. A shocked customer, Narimpa Tangsin, said she had stopped to buy some food when she saw the huge lizard inside. What you need to know about monitor lizards Where are they found? Monitor lizards are found in Africa south of the Sahara, through southern and southeastern Asia , in Australia , and on islands in the southwestern Pacific. Are they dangerous? All Varanus species (the family to which the monitor lizard belongs) are carnivorous. They can be aggressive when threatened, but are not known to … [Read more...] about Incredible moment ‘Godzilla’ monitor lizard climbs shelves in Thai chemist as shoppers scream in horror