If this article is to be believed flue jabs could be replaced by a skin patch by 2015. The patch contains hundreds of microscopic pins that penetrate the outer layer of the skin and then dissolve releasing a dose of the vaccine. The patch would enable patients to be able to give themselves a flu shot without the need for medical training so could potentially be useful in the event of a flu pandemic. The patch has already been successfully tested on animals and researchers are now looking at starting trials using people. It certainly sound better than having an injection.

This unusual red squirrel was spotted in New Abbey near Dumfries by wildlife photographer Mick Durham. Unlike most other red squirrels this one has a unusual white stripe on its tail. Apparently this type of colour variation is quite rare so this ring tailed squirrel could be one of a kind.

This is interesting it’s a new variety of apple that has been dubbed by this article as the tom-apple. The apple is unusual because it is red all the way through even after it has been cooked. It has been produced by a grower over a 20 year period by using cross pollination techniques involving a number of parent trees. The apple is said to be extremely tasty and apparently it contains more antioxidants than the average apple. It would certainly make a colourful additional to a fruit salad.

Divers have found what is thought to be the world’s oldest champagne. It is thought to pre-date the French Revolution and has been found on the Baltic seabed. 30 bottles of the Clicquot which was produced between 1782 and 1788 were found in a shipwreck on the Baltic seabed. It is thought the champagne could fetch around £45,000 a bottle at auction.

According to this article red squirrels are dying due to bacteria which is linked to people feeding them. The problem is caused by human bacteria being passed on from people who leave food out for the squirrels. The bacteria is found naturally in humans but has been found in lesions on 11 dead squirrels in the Isle of Wight and Jersey in 2007 and 2008. The Wildlife Veterinary Investigation Centre in Cornwall has advised people to wear gloves or wash their hands when putting out food for squirrels.

This is interesting, it seems that Botox the substance famously used to get rid of wrinkles can also be used as a cure for migraines. It has recently been approved as a cure for chronic migraines and will be available on the NHS for this purpose. It has been proven to be highly effective in preventing the symptoms of migraines including headaches, nausea and dizziness. Under the treatment patients will receive a series of injections into their forehead and neck every three to six months. It works by paralysing the muscles that trigger the condition and can cut the number of migraines by up to 50%. The treatment has been approved for use with people who suffer with chronic migraines, that is those who have headaches on at least 15 days a month.

This is interesting its a new design of foldaway bike. It has been designed by Kevin Scott who cam up with the idea of a bendy bike. The bike includes a mechanism which allows the frame to bend meaning it can be bent around a lamppost and locked to itself. It is currently just a prototype but it certainly looks interesting.

According to this article camel’s milk could soon be on sale in the UK. A Middle East firm is currently seeking permission to sell the product in Britain for the first time. The milk is suitable for those who lactose intolerant, is high in Vitamin C and low in fat. It is, however, supposed to be more watery than cows milk and apparently tastes salty. I wonder how much it will appeal to the British consumer.

This is cool, it’s a blow up pub which is available to purchase from Drinkstuff.com. It measures 26ft tall and 15ft wide and takes around ten minutes for four adults to set up. It holds around 50 people and costs £27,815. The inside features a tiled effect roof, a fireplace, brick stone wall and two chimney pots.

I came across this article which mentions an event I was unaware existed. The World Pea Shooting Championships is it seems held in Ely near Cambridgeshire. The competition which has been running since 1971 was created by a local teacher after he confiscated pea shooters from some pupils. This years winner was local man Ian Ashmeade who managed to improve on this previous attempt last year when he only managed the runner up position.

If this article is correct then as many as 25% of flowering plants could face extinction. That’s according to scientists who say one in four species is under threat of becoming extinct including some which may not have been discovered yet. The research which was recently published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B follows similar studies which say that one in five of all mammals, nearly one in three amphibians and one in eight birds are in danger of being wiped out completely. The study first looked at the number of flowering plants and the rate that new species are being discovered. From this they concluded that on top of the 352,282 species of known plants there are potentially between 10 and 20% more yet to be discovered. They then took into account the threats facing plants species such as habitat loss, development, groundwater and pollution. From this they concluded that between 27 and 33% of all flowering plants will be threatened with extinction.

According to this article the latest model of the Bugatti Veyron has regained the title of the world’s fastest car. The Veyron held the record previously but this was broken in 3007 by the American SSC Ultimate Aero which reached 256mph. The new Veyron Super Sport, however, has recently reached a speed of 268mph to regain the title. The top speed was possible after Bugatti uprated the specifications of the car . It still has an 8.0 litre, 16 cylinder engine but now its four turbochargers have been upgraded and larger intercoolers added and the bodywork has been redesigned with an all carbon shell to reduce the weight.