H uge catastrophes have occurred throughout history, some caused by the human race and others by the unforgiving hand of Mother Nature. But what could possibly wipe out the whole human race? And what is the chance of it happening over the next century? Unsurprisingly, the chance of humanity being wiped out by 2100 is very […]
Ground-breaking Exeter study reveals highly complex pigeon courtship
Social interactions between pigeons are not as straightforward as we might have thought, University of Exeter-led research has revealed. The study, published in Nature and led by Dr Larry Cross of the College of Life and Environmental Sciences, took four years to complete and was primarily carried out using in situ observations of pigeons in […]
“Shagged by the white plague”: An interview with George Monbiot
G eorge Monbiot is one of the most outspoken experts on environmental science in the world. He is the author of several books including Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of Britain, Heat and, his latest, Feral: Searching for Enchantment on the Frontiers of Rewilding, the latter being the foundation for his talk with Alan Watson Featherstone […]
Review: Trumbo
It wouldn’t be unreasonable to approach director and producer Jay Roach’s latest feature film with caution. With slapstick parody (The Austin Powers series) and commercially successfully comedies (Meet the Parents; Meet the Fockers; Little Fockers) to his name, his ability to direct a historical biopic is questionable. What right does a man renowned for cheap-and-cheerful […]
The best album artwork of 2015
We like lists. If you like lists too, why not take a look at our favourite albums of 2015, or our favourite releases from Exeter and Devon? Below are a pick of the records that, simply put, we loved at first sight. Blur – The Magic Whip The musical quality resounding in Blur’s comeback album, […]
The Government’s Nutts
The past week has been a big one in terms of breakthroughs in drug science. Perhaps the most well-known case is the recent revelation that LSD could be, in small doses, a viable treatment for anxiety and depression. Pharmacological science has never been more exciting, so why is it still so hard to get our […]
Album Review: Coldplay – A Head Full of Dreams
Coldplay A Head Full of Dreams 4 December 2015, Parlophone/ Atlantic Jangling chimes, polyphonic rhythms and gentle guitar lines: I’d almost forgotten, during the first thirty seconds of A Head Full of Dreams, why I disliked Coldplay so much. Unfortunately, the limp croon of Chris Martin kicks in and I’m soon reminded. Arpeggiated rhythms on […]
The Witches of Eastwick Review
Weary from my excursion up to Duryard and wielding a Snickers bar, I headed to Kay House to catch the final performance of Shotgun Theatre’s The Witches of Eastwick. Set in the fictional Rhode Island town of Eastwick, the Witches of Eastwick is based around three female protagonists, the ‘Witches’ Alexandra Spofford, Jane Smart, and Sukie Rougemont, who share […]
The band in the room: an interview with The Maccabees
Two years ago, Alex Turner said that Rock n’ Roll was making a comeback. Self-indulgent, maybe, but when you consider the ever-rising indie-rock band The Maccabees, it is easy to see where he is coming from. Sitting down on a Friday morning with the band’s guitarist Hugo White, I was very keen to find out […]
Simon Says: A totalitarian machine?
When taken at face value, childhood game ‘Simon Says’ is a simple concept where one player, titled ‘Simon’ aims to deceive other players into floundering out of the game by failing to follow his commands correctly. Simon’s aim is to dupe players by performing commands that have not been preceded by the phrase ‘Simon Says’. […]