Iron Man 3 stars the charming Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man/Tony Stark and the gorgeous Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts.
I actually only became interested in Iron Man through watching [...]
Archive for December, 2011
Why I Have Faith in Science
Astronomer Rhodri Evans explains how persistent inquisitiveness and a faith in science can help us understand the wonders of nature. In the movie A Beautiful Mind, Charles says to John Nash, the hero of the film, “Nothing’s ever for sure, John. That’s the only sure thing I do know.”. And yet I am sure of science, [...]
The Lost Generation
How most kids at school now will probably never own a physical copy of anything… Do you remember what it is like to buy a brand new album, the joy it brings to remove the protective cover and slip the disc into the player while you pull out the sleeve and read it cover to [...]
An Animal Rights Argument for Biomedical Research
Anyone even slightly familiar with the history of modern human medical science knows the importance of animal research. Without it, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates we’d be living 23.5 years less than we do. But among animal rights advocates, few issues divide the cohort quite like biomedical research on animal life. Many oppose [...]
Etiquette for Hire: Part 2 – Interviews & Resignations
Adrian Fernand – Australia’s most stylish Agony Uncle – takes a look at the world of hiring and firing in Etiquette for Hire. Part 2 answers those all-important questions on interviews, follow-ups and how to resign in style. To catch up on Part 1 of this article click here. The Interview If you’re fortunate enough to [...]
What to Do when the Winter Bug Hits You?
Winter is getting close, it is getting colder and wetter and students from all over the world flock to the universities in Britain. All of this is great news for germs and bad news for us. Many of us get ill at this time of the year and we want to get rid of the [...]
ReadIt1st: Don’t Let the Movie Spoil the Book
ReadIt1st is a new project created by one half of the Vlogbrothers, Hank Green that urges people to read a book before they watch the movie. The project is his way of re-igniting a love for literature in Americans and the world. He thought about creating the website after discovering that five of the top [...]
Emotional Intelligence at the Work Place
Poor emotional intelligence at work can lead to increased stress and sickness. According to Mind, British businesses lose an estimated £26 billion each year in sickness, absence and lost productivity. With greater awareness and mental health support they said that businesses could save one-third on these costs – ‘a mammoth £8 billion a year.’ Increasing [...]
Stuffed Peppers
I have always had Romano peppers chopped up either in a salad, pizza topping or rice. I got some large peppers and capsicums from the farmer’s market and I wanted to see how they would taste stuffed with vegetables or rice. I decided to experiment and stuff them at the same time as when I was making [...]
Diet High in Vitamins and Fish May Protect Cognition and Brain Size
US scientists have found people with high levels of certain vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids in their blood do better in cognitive tests, and are less likely to have brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The study, which is published online in the journal Neurology on 28 December, is one of the first to investigate a [...]
Wines For Christmas – December Wine of The Month
December means Christmas – and whilst the supermarkets may be vying for your attention and hard-earned pennies with special offers, it’s the independents who really specialise in the wines for special occasions. This month, in recognition of the time of year, we have increased the budget slightly and asked Cambridge’s independents to suggest three wines [...]
Causes of the Obesity Pandemic
In spite of all the modern advances in science and pharmaceutical health in the developed countries, we still face one major health concern which affects our cardiovascular health and wellbeing – obesity. Although there are a multitude of causes, the result is the same for all, almost all obese people have developed some symptoms of chronic [...]
Young Children See the Moon Illusion
Why does the full moon seem bigger when it’s near the horizon than when it’s high in the sky? The moon illusion, which also applies to the perception of the size of the sun in the sky, has intrigued artists and puzzled psychologists for many years. The moon illusion refers to the fact that the sun and [...]
Stress & Cortisol
We are all accustomed to feeling stressed from time to time, be it work related, general fatigue, linked to a hectic home life or everyday problems. The effects of stress are wide ranging. Stress hormones trigger back pain, weaken the immune system, increase blood sugar, promote diabetes, increase the chances of developing gum disease, decrease [...]
Film Review: Contagion
Recently, a film entered the main stream cinemas, which attracted large crowds of people as it covers a topic that really hits the spirit of the time. Contagion is a film about a world-wide outbreak of a disease. Being a research scientist myself, I am always very sceptical about such movies as they are often [...]
Winter Wordfest: 50 Years of Private Eye
Charming, educating and amusing its audience with a diverse and colourful program, Winter Wordfest descended upon the ADC theatre on Sunday 27th November in a celebration of Literature. New and established writers covered a whole range of exciting genres in one day, these included; Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling, who discussed his book, [...]
Etiquette for Hire: Part 1 – Job Applications
Adrian Fernand – Australia’s most stylish Agony Uncle – takes a look at the world of hiring and firing in Etiquette for Hire. Part 1 answers those all-important questions on job applications and preparing for interviews. There comes a time in life when one just has to move on, and I’m not talking about skinny [...]
Film Review: The Rum Diary
Whatever the varying opinions on Johnny Depp may be, one thing is for sure, his heart is in the right place. After stumbling upon the manuscript for Hunter S. Thompson’s The Rum Diary in 1998, Johnny Depp convinced the author to publish it after it had been left to gather dust for over thirty years. [...]
Cook for Cure – Alzheimer Research UK Campaign
Alzheimer Research UK has started the Cook for a Cure dinner party fundraising campaign. This fantastic campaign raises money to help people with dementia and supports dementia research. Hosting your own Cook for a Cure dinner party is not only a good way to get together with friends and family to have a great time, it’s [...]
How to Survive the Honeymoon Period
“The most important ingredient we put into any relationship is not what we say or what we do, but what we are.”(Stephen R.Covey) Every day the papers are overpopulated with stories of unfaithfulness, impending divorces and kiss and tell stories of the Rich and Famous. It seems as though, we have lost the secret ingredient [...]
The Rise of Whitney Houston
Editor’s Note: On February 11, 2012 – after the following article was published – Whitney Houston was found dead in a suite at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, California, submerged in the bathtub. The cause of death was not immediately known. City Connect offers our deepest sympathy to Whitney Houston’s family and fans. [...]
Time – Your Most Valuable Asset
Money can come and go but your time is truly priceless. How much quality time does your average day contain? You may well ask “What do you mean, quality time?” And this is a perfectly reasonable question. Quality time is different for everyone. For me, quality time is time spent feeling good. There are many [...]
Film Review: In Time
Imagine a world where time is money. Imagine a world where you stop aging at 25, but you’re only engineered to live for one more year. Imagine a world where the rich live forever, and the poor drop dead with no warning. This is the world created by director Andrew Niccol in his latest action [...]
Frustrated Magnets
Scientists sometimes take magnetism for granted. But some materials behave badly and scientists funded by the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) are trying to find out why. They are looking at the conventional wisdom of modern theories and finding it does not always stick to exotic magnets. Scientists from archaeologists to zoologists [...]
Ask City Connect
How To Avoid Boring Office Christmas Parties
Dear Agony Uncle,
I find the Christmas season to be quite awkward. I’m invited to numerous functions with colleagues; most of whom are vapid, none of whom I particularly like [...]
Style
Easy Tips for a Hallway Fix
You’ve decorated your bedroom, your kitchen, and your living room, but what about your hallway? Hallways often get neglected in terms of design and are left looking bare and boring. [...]
Relationships
The Dating Diary of Miss X – Chapter 6
In Chapter 6 of The Dating Diary of Miss X, our very single and very anonymous Miss X talks about what she’s learnt from “The Magic” and gets back in touch with an ex – Mr [...]
