This is interesting, its a home test for skin cancer. Costing £40 the test is designed to check suspect moles. For that price experts will analyse pictures of skin defects which are sent to a website and email results back within 24 hours. A traffic light system will identify what sort of risk the mole poses. Red would signify that is malignant, amber that it could be cancerous and green that it is probably harmless. Malignant melanoma currently affects 10,300 people a year and causes around 2,000 deaths each year so the test is likely to prove popular. The best advice, however, if you concerned about a mole that has changed size, colour or shape is to get advice from your doctor.

A Marsh Harrier has successfully bred in Cheshire for the first time. The bird which according to this article is rarer than the golden eagle is usually confined to the East Coast. Three chicks have recently been hatched at a secret location in the Gowy and Mersey Washlands. They have now left the nest and it is hoped they will return to the UK when they are around three years old. There are currently only around 360 breeding pairs of Marsh Harriers across the UK so its encouraging to see them nesting in Cheshire for the first time.

According to this article the UK’s oldest arctic tern has been founds on the Farne Islands. The tern was originally caught and ringed on the islands in 1980 but has recently been spotted again 30 years later. It is thought the tern would have travelled around 1m miles so far in its lifetime and perhaps she will be go on to cover many more yet.

According to this article a grower has devised a way to keep English pears fresh so that they can be eaten all year. The problem with English pears is that they are currently only available from September until May but are not available in the summer. A grower has now found a way of cooling the pears by keeping them in giant fridges. The Oxygen is reduced to 2.5% and carbon dioxide is kept below 1%. This process slows down the normal deterioration. I wonder whether they still taste as good as the ones I pick from the tree in my garden. Personally I find these are best to left to ripen on the windowsill for a few days before eating but they are far superior to shop brought pears.

According to this article a study has shown that banning young drivers from driving at night could save as many as 200 lives a year. Other measures which could could cut the number of accidents include prohibiting them from carrying their peers or drinking any alcohol. Researchers from Cardiff University have concluded that these measures could significantly cut the amount of young people being involved in road accidents. Based on this they are recommending a graduated driver licensing (GDL) system be introduced. This would mean that 17 to 24 year olds would have some restrictions imposed on them for the first two years after they pass their driving tests. Similar schemes are already in force in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and parts of the USA and are proving to be successful. I do wonder, however, what this says about the driving test. Do we conclude that it is not tough enough if we cannot trust new drivers to drive in a responsible manner?

A lady in Oxfordshire has managed to grow this enormous cucumber. Measuring 43 inches long and still growing it could be the world’s largest cucumber although this is still to be confirmed by Guinness World Record officials.

According to this article the number of UK breweries has increased in the past 30 years. Figures from Camra (The Campaign for Real Ale) show that 78 new breweries opened last year. It seems the rise is mainly down to the increasing number of mirco breweries starting up. Many of these smaller breweries are run out of a shed or a pub back garden. Camra puts the rise of breweries down to the fact that brewers are simply responding to genuine customer demand. I wonder what I need to start my own micro brewery.

This is Swallow a cow who has recently been recognised as the world’s smallest. She measures just 33 inches high and is from West Yorkshire.

This is interesting, its a type of spray on clothing that has been developed by Spanish designer Dr Manel Torres. The clothing comes in a can and can be applied within about 15 minutes. It dries as soon as it hits the skin and can then be removed, washed and re-worn. It contains cotton fibres, polymers and solvents to keep it in liquid form. The idea is that you can create clothing instantly and cheaply and of course achieve a perfect fit every time.

If you spend your free time in the gym trying to lose weight and feel you are not getting anywhere, then you may be right. According this article diet not exercise is the key to losing weight. It seems the only real way to lose weight is simply to eat less. It’s not rocket science really if you are overweight then you are probably eating too much but I think most people will agree that the best way to lose excess weight is a combination of eating a healthy diet combined with an exercise regime.

According to this article some trade unions are calling for sunbeds to be banned. The Society of Radiographers (SoR) has called the use of sunbeds for cosmetic purposes unnecessary and has called on the government to highlight the dangers. The SoR has said that skin cancer is the most common cancer among 15 to 34 years olds in the UK and that it kills more than 2,000 people a year. What is not clear is how many of these are directly related to the use of sunbeds. Personally I would not consider using a sunbed, as I believe the risks far outweigh the benefits. What do you think, should sunbeds be banned?

If you have a never ending battle with snails in your garden then it may be because the same snails simply keep coming back. One gardener who prefers not to kill snails and instead moves them did an experiment. She put small amounts of coloured nail varnish on their shells and moved them elsewhere. It was found that the snails were able to find their back from over 300ft away although they were less likely return from greater distances than this. Based on this it seems chucking over the wall is not option, I may have to resort to slug pellets and beer traps.

This is interesting its a tie that can be used as a pillow. It looks much like a normal tie at first glance but it also includes a small mouthpiece which can be used to inflate it. The user can simply blow it up without removing it from the neck and use it as a handy pillow. The tie is made from a blend of microfibre and silk which is designed not to crease or leave a mark on your face when you lie on it.

According to this article this is the world’s largest chocolate bar. It was produced at the Grand Candy factory in Armenia to mark the 10th anniversary of the company. The chocolate bar measures 224 inches (560 cm) long, 110 inches (275 cm) wide and 10 inches (25 cm) thick.

According to this article scientists have found the gene that causes short sight and may soon be able to stop the condition developing. The article suggests that it could be possible within ten years to stop short sightedness in children perhaps by using eyedrops. I find this particularly interesting when I consider how rapidly my eyesight deteriorated as a child. Each time I visited the optician my eyesight was much worse and by the age of 11 I could only see a few inches in front of my face without the help of glasses or contact lenses. I had my eyesight corrected with laser eye surgery some years ago but the possibility that there may soon be a preventative measure for this problem is really quite exciting.

This is interesting its an intelligent cat flap that works with your cats microchip. The flap uses you pets own microchip to check that it is your cat that is using it. It can be programmed to admit up to 30 cats. It also allows you to programme it to only let the cats out during daylight hours. The only downfall appears to be the price, it costs £80 which is quite expensive compared to a normal cat flap. It is something I will be saving up for, however.

This rather large diamond has recently been found in Lesotho. The diamond which was found at the Letseng mine in Lesotho measures 1.18 inches across and is a 196 caret stone. A examination of the stone has shown that it should produce a top clarity when polished. It will be interesting to see how much it sells for.

Oshine the orang-utan has the dubious title of being Britain’s fattest. She was recently rescued from South Africa where she was kept as a pet. Unfortunately her well meaning owners fed her on a diet of junk food including burgers, jelly and sweets. Now living at Monkey World in Dorset Oshine currently weighs 15 and a half stone. She is now on a strict diet of fruit, yoghurt, lean meat and vegetables and it is hoped she will soon be back to her normal size.

I’m not usually very interested in what celebrities are wearing but this is certainly an outfit that is designed to get attention. It is reportedly made out of raw meat. Worn by Lady Gaga at the MTV awards it has created quite a stir and the media seems to be in two minds as to whether it is real or fake.

According to this article genetically modified salmon has been declared fit to eat by American scientists. The salmon has been genetically modified so that it will grow at a much faster rate meaning it will be almost double in size at the age of 18 months. The fact that it has been declared safe could mean that it is being eaten in America within two to three years and possibly within Britain soon after. Critics of GM food fear the salmon could harm the wild fish populations if they were to escape and some reports have found the GM fish develop misshapen heads and bloated bodies due to their fast growth. Personally I’m not convinced enough research has been done on any possible side effects, I don’t think I will be eating them given a choice.

This is quite interesting its a study into some mice on the island of St Kilda. The mice are field mice but with a difference, they are much bigger, In fact they are twice the size of field mice on the mainland. The island of St Kilda were abandoned by humans in 1930 and it is thought one reason behind the large mice could be that they have little competition and not many predators. A team from Edinburgh University will study them for three years to try and find out what is behind their success. In contrast the islands house mice have completely died out since the human population was evacuated from the island.

According to this article Belgium are to bring in new rules that will make it compulsory for cat owners to have their pets sterilised and registered by 2016. The Belgium government is bringing in the measures to deal with the countries 1.7 million feline population. Last year around 13,000 cats were killed in animal refuges in the country and it is thought there are 37,000 strays. If it is passed into law the programme will begin with the sterilisation of all cats in rescue centres. The country will then embark on a phased neutering of all cats except exotic pedigrees from the start of next year. All cats owners would need to have their pets sterilised and registered with only breeders of Siamese, Abyssinian and other special pedigrees being exempt. It will be interesting to see how successful this is and whether it cuts down on the number of unwanted kittens.

Drivers on Highway 26 in Louisiana were surprised to spot the image of Jesus (or something slightly like it) on a telegraph pole. The image pictured was seen next to a motorway. I’m not convinced but will leave you to draw your own conclusion.

According to this article a man has been caught trying to smuggle 95 live boa constrictors. The man was caught after the bag containing the snakes burst open on a luggage belt at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. He has pleaded guilty to charges of wildlife smuggling and is expected to receive  up to seven years in prison and a fine. All of the snakes were alive and well and are being taken care of by wildlife officials.

I got some scallops the other day. They are usually so good just on their own that it seems a shame to do too much them. I cleaned them thoroughly seasoned them well with salt and pepper and put them on a tray under a hot grill for 5 minutes. Then I squeezed a little lemon over the top and served them. They were fantastic and served in the shells they make a nice looking starter.

A rare baby seahorse has been spotted in Britain for the first time. It is the first time one has been seen in Europe. The spiny seahorse is around 4cm long making it very hard to spot. Although adults, pregnant males and juveniles have been seen before this is the first confirmed sighting of a baby sea horse and proves that the creatures are breeding in British waters. It was seen by a diver off the coast of Studland in Dorset.

This is one of a series of firefly pictures taken by amateur photographer German Kristian. The pictures have been taken using slow shutter speeds to capture the creatures movements. You can see the other pictures on the original article.

If this article is to be believed a dairy farmer in Somerset has introduced waterbeds for his cows because it helps improve the quality of the milk. Cows at Brue Valley Farms not only have specially designed rubber beds filled with water but are also able to listen to classical music in the milking shed. The farm concentrates on what is best for the cows treating them as individuals and it appears the end result is a better quality dairy product, their Farmhouse Cheddar which is made with the creamy milk.

Researchers have discovered a new species of frog in Borneo. The frog which has been named Microhyla nepenthicola is only one centimetre long making it Asia’s smallest. It lives in the Nepenthes ampullaria plant which it uses as a habitat. The plant lives off decomposing organic matter which collects in its pitcher shaped cavity, and it is this cavity that the tiny frog uses to lay its eggs and hatch its tadpoles.

This is interesting its a new take on the idea of a shark tank but as you see includes crocodiles instead. It’s a new attraction which has opened in   Crocosaurus Cove park in Darwin, Australia. Visitors are able to get a close look at the crocodiles from inside a five inch thick Perspex box. The 10ft box in lowered into the water and chunks of meat are attached to the bottom to attract the crocodiles. The cage has undergone extensive safety testing but the fact that is has been nicknamed the Cage of Death would put me off a little bit.

According to this article this is the worlds largest barbecue. It is big enough to cook seven whole lambs, three pigs or two cows at the same time or alternatively 1,00 sausages or 500 burgers. It has been designed by Jack Henriques who spent three months creating it. It requires 14 bags of coal to light it. The BBQ which was commissioned by a wedding venue takes three chefs to run it.

I was interested to read that four of the major energy companies are to be investigated for mis-selling contracts to customers. I have experienced the tactic many times in the past with door to door sales people. Often they pretend to be from your current energy provider and will ask to see a recent energy bill to see if they can save you money. They may also admit to being from a rival company but once again the emphasis is put upon changing your current provider to get a better deal.

I have long been wise to the various tactics they employ and tend to rather effective at getting rid of the sales people rather quickly. It does, however, surprise me how long this has been going on. I have certainly had a constant stream of these sales people arriving at my door over the past ten years. It seems that Ofgem is now prepared to take “strong action” if the companies in questions are found to be in the wrong. I do wonder, however, whether banning door to door selling altogether might be the best way to resolve the problem. When it emerges that 40% of people who are persuaded to switch in this way actually end up paying more than they did previously I hope stricter rules and regulations are the result of this investigation. I also feel fairly justified in my rather abrupt attitude when confronted by one of these sales people at my front door.

You know cats are friends when they have the whole garden to sit in and they choose to do this.

Airport officials at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand were surprised when they found a drugged tiger cub inside a suitcase. The cub which as first glance looks like a stuffed toy was found in a woman's suitcase. It is thought she was trying to smuggle the animal into Iran. The tiger was suffering from exhaustion and dehydration after its ordeal but it appears to be recovering well. The woman is likely to face up to four years in prison and a large fine for wildlife smuggling charges.

This article suggests that increases in food prices are leading to people buying less food. According to the article food prices rose by 1% between June and July this year, the biggest increase in recent months. With other household bills also rising and salary increases failing to keep up, it seems many people are simply having to buy less food. I have certainly noticed my shopping bill going up despite the fact that I only buy basic items. I have been purchasing cheaper cuts of meat to try and cut costs. I am also more concerned about food waste and try to make sure that everything is used even if it means making it into cat food. I have also been splitting food, particularly meat down into smaller portions and growing more fruit and vegetables to supplement our diet. All of these things mean that the food budget does stretch but it doesn’t get away from the fact that I am paying a lot more each month for our basic household shop.

If this article is to be believed then you can tell whether a wasp is angry or not by looking at its face. Apparently the more aggressive wasps have black markings on their faces. The more black markings a wasp has the more aggressive it is likely to be. Dr Tibbetts from the University of Michigan made the discovery whilst she was looking at why wasps have highly patterned faces. She found that other wasps are less likely to approach those wasps with the most painted faces and likened the wasps markings to the animal version of a karate belt. I’m not entirely sure it is an effective method of finding out whether a wasp is likely sting you, I don’t think I would fancy getting close enough to be looking at its face.

This is unusual its an incident where a swarm of bees covered a police car. The policeman was trapped inside as the 50,000 bees covered the car. The policeman had arrived at a truck crash to find it contained 60 boxes of honey bees. He called in a swat team of beekeepers who managed to calm the bees using smoke and collect them.

This colourful looking insect is a hedychrum niemelai wasp or cuckoo wasp. It is classed as a nationally scare species which is restricted to southern England. This one was pictured on Whitmore Common in Surrey and is the first time the species has been found there. It certainly is more much more attractive than the average wasp I am used to seeing in the garden.

According to this article many pet owners are cancelling their pet insurance policies because the renewal fees are simply too expensive. At a time when most other household bills are also going up it seems people no longer have the money to pay the increasingly high pet insurance policy fees. The article highlights the case of one woman who faced a rise of £100 when it came to renewing the policy for her dog. Whilst pet insurance can seem expensive it can come in really useful when faced with a large unexpected vet bill. Unfortunately I had to cancel the policy for my four cats because it simply became too expensive. Instead I try to put aside what I would have paid in monthly fees to the insurance company every month so that if we should have a large bill there is money to pay for it.