Why thinking about other people is the key to good manners ‘I hate that concept of etiquette as something archaic – rules to judge people,’ Deborah says. ‘That’s the opposite of good manners. I think manners is thinking about other people. With that, you can’t go wrong.’ Approached in this way, communal living – be …
What makes Lundy Island a sanctuary for wildlife? Lundy’s kelp forests, reefs, sandy sediments, sea caves and shipwrecks provide space, peace and nourishment for dolphins, spiny lobster, pink sea fans, sunset cup coral and Atlantic grey seals. Important seabird colonies, including Manx shearwaters, guillemots, as well as puffins, have also flourished following the eradication of …
Read moreWhat makes Lundy Island an important nature reserve?
How have reflections from water been used in the art of gardening? Small or large, man-made or natural, bodies of water have long been exploited for their reflective and kinetic qualities. When walking around a lake or gazing out at an ocean sunset, nature’s beauty can appear exemplified through reflections in water. Perhaps it’s for …
Read moreHow artists have been inspired by mirrors and reflections
Do cold showers improve mental health? In theory, exposure to cold can increase the neurotransmitters in the brain that are known to improve mood, such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. Research as to whether this translates into reality, however, is limited. One very small study, published in the journal Medical Hypothesis, showed improved mood after …
Read moreIs it really true that cold showers are good for you?
Why the reality of success can often differ from the idea of success Clare says ‘When you set your sights on an ambition, you’re more often than not playing out your own internal narrative about what you think achieving the ambition will be like. The reality can often be something very different from the projections …
Read moreHow to have a healthier perspective on career success and disappointment
Why are melodramatic people and art so often dismissed? Exaggerated, histrionic, over the top – a melodramatic person creates life in vibrant colours, for there is no incident too tiny to be symbolic of Great Things. Emotions are heartfelt and opinions expressed in extreme ways. And while this can be entertaining from a distance, up …
Read moreWhy embracing melodrama and big emotions can be healthy
How does metal detecting work? The handheld metal detector, first patented by two people, Gerhard Fisher and Shirl Herr, around the same time in the 1920s, works by transmitting an electromagnetic field from the search coil into the ground to detect targets (any metal objects). When an item is detected, the device will produce an …
How to identify an anti-hero Antiheroes can be any gender, but they must be the star of their show. As a principal character, they embody the opposite of what you’d expect. In fact, it’s these very qualities that drive their appeal. Antiheroes embody the shadow side of humanity. They’re the parts of ourselves we despise …
Where does dharma come from? The origins of dharma go back a long way, to the spiritual literature of India, when the Mahabharata, often referred to as ‘the Great Epic’ or the world’s longest poem, was created. According to Hindu belief, dharma is, in its simplest form, the ‘quality that epitomises what it is to …
Read moreWhat is dharma and how can it help bring you contentment?
How does no-mow gardening work? Put simply, no-mow gardening means leaving your lawn to grow unchecked for a while. This might be for a full season or a single month and involve a whole garden or plot, a section or even just the edges. Some no-mow gardeners cut strips across their gardens to create pathways …
Read moreWhat are the benefits to wildlife of not mowing your lawn?
