iblog

Virgil: Of the many things that one might elect to beta-test - from computer software to food products - condoms appear to be among the most popular. When Durex launched its trials scheme in France some time ago, it was immediately inundated by a surge of 14,000 eager try-outs, their feedback swimming down the information super-canal of the internet. Now Durex brings these trials to the UK, calling for 5,000 testers - whether married, single, male or female, and of all ethnic backgrounds - to report on how their sex lives changed after using Durex products. The last time they did this their sales went up by 7%, so I'm not surprised they keep holding these events! A Durex spokeswoman was, however, quick to enforce that "It isn't some crazy kind of '60s love-in." I wish the panellists a happy time.

Virgil: The 1977 science fiction movie Star Wars depicts a particular scene where Luke Skywalker, the lead character, watches the two suns of his planet set on the horizon. Set "In a galaxy far, far away", it has turned out that such a thing may not be so fictional! New data published by NASA reveals that in galaxies far far away, and at home in the Milky Way too, planetary systems exist around twin stars just as much as around single stars like our own sun. And not only that; based on the new evidence, the scientists who are also Star Wars fans (isn't that all of them?) have worked out that the imagery seen in the film is not in the least bit incorrect. With the planet at that distance from the suns (such that the suns look that size and that far apart), the planet could indeed by habitable by humans! So maybe way out there, a young Jedi really is gazing into the sunset of a binary star.

Rushda: The world's tallest man, Bao Xishun, has now married a woman over two feet shorter than him. The 7ft 9ins tall giant met her through a personal ad service after sending out marriage advertisements across the world, and now he is happily married with the 29 year old saleswoman from his home town. Well, what a match! Any couple who has ever felt that they are odd together should take inspiration from the pairing. I do feel a bit confused though. I mean, lots of women like taller men but I never thought such a huge height could be desirable to anyone. I'm sure they are happy together but I also wonder how the pair can even see each other when standing!

Rushda: Many world religions declare animals as inferior to humans, and I think most people nowadays would agree. But there is an incredible new international movement which aims to give the ape, an animal that shares the same ancestors as humans, a "personhood". What this means is a little vague but the point is that given that apes differ from humans by only one per cent of DNA and display remarkable intelligence, there seems no reason not to grant them even more rights like those of humans. Of course, this probably does not mean things like the right to vote (at least I hope not). If it means more respect though, I wholeheartedly agree that they should be given more consideration. Animals such as these often suffer so much abuse from humans, which I think is unacceptable. But I don't think the reason behind giving apes more rights should have much to do with how much DNA they share. I think what counts is pure sentience - or the ability to feel pain - which apes share with thousands of other species who are also in need of similar protection. Steve Jones, professor of genetics at University of London, says we cannot apply human rights to animals because DNA doesn't matter, apes just cannot have the responsibilities humans can. I agree with this comment but again, I think it's important to realise that basic rights such as the right not to be in pain should be to do with what the animal can feel, not what the animal can think.

Caroline: Having just returned from a holiday in America where, partly because of the weak dollar, everything seems very cheap, I was not surprised to read that in a recent survey London's hotels come out as being the most expensive in Europe. They are not, however, as expensive as Bath which has an average cost of £114 a night, £7 more than in London. Worldwide, Moscow is the most expensive at £172. This is possibly because due to security worries, travellers will often fork out more for a costlier hotel in the belief that they will be safer there. The cheapest destination is Bangkok at £42 a night. This is up 58% from 2005-2006 as older people with more money to spend are now travelling to Bangkok, once seen mainly as the preserve of backpackers. The figures are taken from the millions of bookings worldwide on the website www.hotels.com.

Caroline: It's a good job that Samuel Pepys and Anne Frank did not live in a computer age. It seems that fewer than one in ten of us keep a conventional diary nowadays and teenagers in particular are far more likely to pour their hearts out in a blog than in a "Dear Diary" confessional. Historians are concerned that this will lead to a dearth of contemporaneous records for future generations. The anonymity of a blog is appealing and teenagers reckon that their parents and teachers are such dinosaurs that they will be far less likely to uncover their inner secrets online than pick the lock of their diary!

Anna: Ever watched a wildlife documentary on TV and felt envious of the khaki-clad rangers? Well, now is your chance to get a taste of what working in the African bush is really like. Conservation Africa is offering two week courses covering animal identification, botany, animal behaviour and geology. Students will also learn essential skills for rangers, like 4x4 driving, dealing with dangerous game, snake identification and tracking. The course is also set in a Big 5 game reserve, so your chances of seeing spectacular wildlife are high. It sounds like a wonderful holiday, much more imaginative than the standard safari package. And for those who fall in love with African wildlife, potentially the start of a career in conservation and rangering.

Virgil: Nanotechnology, technology at the scale of atoms, is one of the most promising fields of research in modern science. The potential is there for achieving big tasks with things so small we wouldn't even realise they existed. And not only that, the tiny machines will be able to achieve the tasks better than big clunky ones, as well as being able to do more tasks than their oversized counterparts. Whilst much speculation regarding this type of engineering is pure science fiction, other implementations are already in use (see this BBC News pictures article for examples). However the government has failed to provide adequate funding into nanotechnology research, particularly in the area of deciding the dangers of the technology. Without this funding, Britain could lose its place as the pioneer in the field. Indeed, the research itself could be inhibited. Without this kind of input, Britain may be unable to collaborate with researchers abroad, shutting it out of the bigger picture. The nanotechnology sphere is expected to be worth trillions of pounds in the coming future.

Virgil: Wallace and Gromit, Britain's favourite plasticine heros, are well known for their inventiveness. In the long line of wacky contraptions, they have produced mechanical trousers, mind-altering devices, rabbit-sucking machines, get-out-of-bed-o-trons, and even a spaceship. The nations Patent Office jokingly calls them "Britain's foremost inventors"! Nick Park, their creator, has now had his characters begin a partnership with the Patent Office. The 'Cracking Ideas' scheme encourages young children to come up with funky ideas for new inventions, and the scheme supports this by automatically patenting any of the feasible ideas. It's just the kind of thing that Mr Park would have loved as a child, having decided from the age of 8 that he wanted to grow up and be an inventor, such that he could make a time machine and visit the dinosaurs. In his own words he describes his subsequent career - animating Wallace and Gromit, which can take up to 7 years per production - a kind of "mad inventor" activity too. This all sounds fantastic and I'm glad kids are being encouraged to be creative. However I give an F-minus grade to one of the first inventions: a purpose-built ladder that helps spiders get out of the bath!

Rushda: The much awaited seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, named Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has now got a cover to go with the mysterious name. The newly revealed colourful cover for the children's version shows Harry and his friends lunging over a pile of treasure, while the adult version of the book shows a pendant engraved with a jewelled 'S' shape. The text on the cover says unrevealing things like, "Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task". Almost annoying in how little it gives away but oh well, that's the fun of it I guess, and I'm sure the new cryptic cover will give diehard fans so much more speculate about. The wait is indeed becoming more and more tense as everyone is impatient to read the ultimate fate of their favourite wizard. The book is to be released on 21st July this year and like millions of others, I look forward to it!