Mark Cantrell's Blog, page 31

Guest: Why a Tudor author didn’t publish and be damned

Author of first English novel kept it hidden for ten years – here’s why Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, detailing the grim fate of Protestant clerics Latimer and Ridley, is one clue as to why Baldwin hesitated before publishing his irreverent book. Wikimedia Commons Rachel Stenner, University of Sheffield and Frances Babbage, University of Sheffield A […]

Technology: Are we losing trust in the high-tech promise?

Oh ye of little faith A survey suggests we’re losing faith in the reliability of the technology that we use in everyday life, writes Mark Cantrell THERE’S simply so much more to go wrong these days. We’re wrapped in a technology web that has become integrated with our daily lives. Complexity breeds gremlins, of course, […]

Gallery: #RAF100 touches down in Manchester’s Albert Square

Chocs away: Nipping out for a flight to eat  THE Royal Air Force (RAF) turned 100 on 1 April 2018, kicking off a season of events and celebrations to mark its centenary. On 14 September, the RAF showed off its vintage, when several historic aircraft ‘touched down’ for a public display in Manchester’s Albert Square. […]

Heritage: The moors the merrier for Yorkshire monuments after cash boost for national park

Grant for North York Moors will help preserve ancient character By Mark Cantrell EFFORTS to save historic monuments on the North York Moors for the future were given a shot in the arm with a grant of over £170,000. The North York Moors National Park Authority secured the money from Historic England to help it […]

Books: James Patterson remains King of the book borrowing public

PLR reveals the most borrowed books and authors By Mark Cantrell AUTHOR James Patterson remains the king of library book borrowing, according to the latest figures from the Public Lending Right (PLR). For the eleventh consecutive year, Patterson has topped the list of books and authors most popular with library borrowers in the UK. He […]

Books: Fake News by David Hutter

Who says satire is dead in the age of Trump? By Mark Cantrell THE rumours of satire’s demise in a world of Trump and Brexit are greatly exaggerated. In Fake News, David Hutter has shown it is very much alive and well. He captures the scary absurdity of Donald Trump’s presidency in all its vainglory. […]

Quirky: Porkies and snake oil make politicians of us all

Would we lie to you? Lying politicians and leaders influence others to be more dishonest, psychologists have claimed. Makes you wonder, where do bears answer a call of nature? By Mark Cantrell POLITICIANS are capable of making liars of us all, apparently. In a study that suggests perceptions of integrity – real or imagined – […]

Guest: Britain’s real working-class voices are not being heard – here’s why

By Sarah McNicol, Manchester Metropolitan University and Andrew McMillan, Manchester Metropolitan University One of the paradoxes of our age is that we are told all the time that we need to do more to listen to communities whose voices may not get heard – but at the same time we seem to have preconceived expectations […]

Health: Scientists claim modern street lighting may be causing cancer

Don’t be blue, it’s just the light Images taken from the International Space Station have helped terrestrial researchers assess the impact of street lighting on human health – and they reckon it’s increasing our risk of breast and prostate cancer By Mark Cantrell IT might sound like a case for the tinfoil hat, but researchers […]

Science: Could snot genes inherited from jellyfish save us from the superbugs?

Scientists aim to unlock the secrets of this slimy evolutionary legacy Only snot can save us now… Next time you have a runny nose, consider this: it’s just yucky snot to you and me but to scientists from Newcastle University, it’s a slimy gift from our invertebrate ancestors, and it could reveal new ways of […]