Advances in business, agricultural techniques and medical knowledge over the last 150 years have been accompanied by a dramatic increase within the world’s population. These changes have spelt disaster for the ecology of our planet and brought several species to the brink of extinction. A species that has a high probability of becoming extinct within [...]
Since the beginning of life on Earth, the number of species current has been increasing. We’re now living in an age when species diversity is at an all time high. However, the charge at which species are disappearing forever is also at record levels, and far outstrips the charge at which new ones are evolving.
The [...]
Target archery is an Olympic sport, held on flat land. The FITA goal consists of five concentric circles, coloured white, black, blue, red and gold. Every has an inner and outer ring – so you will find 10 scoring zones. The top score – an arrow in the bull’s eye, or the inner gold – [...]
Thwack! Robin Hood lowers his trusty longbow, carved from a simple yew branch, and invites the 20th-century archer to try. But when he catches sight of the fearsome 20thcentury bow, the smirk slithers from his face!
The recurve bow is used by most sporting archers. It’s a ruthlessly efficient composite of a number of materials, with [...]
During the day bats rest in a roost. Some species roost alone and others type groups. A large bat roost may contain thousands of members. Caves, old mines, house roofs, tree-holes and rock crevices are common roosting websites. Flying foxes frequently hang from trees in clusters. Tent-making bats bite via the midrib of a big [...]
Most bats are extremely similar in appearance, considering the number of species there are. Most are little and weigh 5-20g. The smallest of all mammals is Kitti’s hog-nosed bat at l-3g and 2.9-3.3cm lengthy. Pipistrelles are shrewsized while flying foxes are rabbit-sized. Clad in a furry coat which they moult once a year, bats are [...]
When the sun goes down, batallions of bats around the world file out of their belfries and begin to fill their bellies. The 10 million adults from one particular Texan cave can demolish about 100 tonnes of insects a night.
One in every five species of mammal is a bat, yet to most people bats remain [...]
The majority of individuals are Russian, Slavic individuals related towards the Ukrainians, Bylorussians, Poles and Czechs. Prior to Communism, most were members from the Eastern Orthodox Church, which is now experiencing a revival. The pressures that suppressed religion also supported the adoption from the Russian language throughout the country, and also the language is nonetheless [...]
Russia has huge mineral deposits, which have not yet been fully exploited. Coal, iron, natural gas and oil are all produced, but the techniques of production under Communist rule have led to many environmental problems. The crystal clear waters of Lake Baikal, for instance, are threatened by industrial pollution from the nearby city of Irkutsk.
Industrial [...]
Winston Churchill described Russia as a riddle wrapped inside a mystery inside an enigma. It’s a challenging place to get to know, partly because of its huge size, but also due to the enormous diversity of cultures it brings together.
The Russian Federation will be the world’s largest nation, stretching from the coast of the Baltic [...]
