Homing pigeon 'Bermuda Triangle' explained. 31 January 2013Last updated at 01:11 GMT By Rebecca Morelle Science reporter, BBC World Service Homing pigeons are remarkable navigators - but when released from Jersey Hill in the US they kept on getting lost The mystery of the "Bermuda Triangle" of the homing pigeon world may have been solved. For years, scientists have been baffled as to why the usually excellent navigators get lost when released from a particular site in New York State. But new research suggests the birds are using low frequency sounds to find their way around - and they cannot hear the rumble at this US location. The study is published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
The lead author of the paper, Dr Jonathan Hagstrum, from the US Geological Survey, said that the birds were creating "acoustic maps" of their surroundings. But some other researchers said the theory was controversial and there was much debate over how homing pigeons navigate so efficiently. Catch the pigeon Continue reading the main story “Start Quote. QI : Quite Interesting. The Greek island of old age. 6 January 2013Last updated at 19:08 ET By Andrew Bomford BBC News, Ikaria, Greece The inhabitants of a small Greek island live on average 10 years longer than the rest of western Europe. So what's the secret to long life in Ikaria? It could be the fresh air and the friendly, easy-going, open-door lifestyle. It could be fresh vegetables and goat's milk. It could be the mountainous terrain. Everywhere on Ikaria is up, or down, so getting around keeps you fit.
It could even be the natural radiation in the granite rocks. "It's the wine," he says, over a mid-morning glass at his kitchen table. Stamatis celebrated his 98th birthday on New Year's Day. "Do you drink it all yourself? " The wine, and convivial days spent with friends and family, helped make Stamatis a poster-boy for the healing effects of Ikaria. Continue reading the main story Ikaria "At the time it was very expensive to have a funeral there," he remembers. By now he has a twinkle in his eye, and is in full flow. A life less ordinary. Debatabase: a world of great debates. Lack of local teachers sparks concerns about UAE identity. DUBAI // More than half of all Emirati children in Dubai attend private schools but only 31 UAE nationals teach in them, a report has found.
The report suggests the lack of local teachers could hamper the development of national identity in the 29,752 pupils. Chaltham Kanaid, author of the report released by Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority, said salaries were the biggest hurdle to attracting Emirati staff to the private system, in which 56 per cent of pupils learn in Dubai. “Emirati pupils are our priority,” Ms Kanaid said. “Teachers have higher salaries in government schools and naturally that will be their first choice. The question becomes how can we motivate the private sector to provide attractive offers?” Of the Emirati children in the private system, 77 per cent are at 24 schools, which employ 2,500 teaching staff but only 13 nationals. There are 148 private schools across Dubai.
“I think children would be able to relate to the teachers more,” Dr Al Saeed said. Thinking Tools | Teacher & Student Planners.
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