New research says seagulls are less likely to swoop in to take your food if you stare at them.

What did the Romans ever do for Ireland? Not a lot, it seems.

Male killer whales are three times more likely to die if they are socially isolated, new research suggests.

Having exhausted the fruit and berry crops of their Nordic homelands, waxwings are heading southwards, writes Richard Collins.

An outright ban on the use of plastic microbeads in bathroom products must be introduced by the Government to reduce harmful marine pollution, MPs in the UK have said.

USA: A 59-year-old man was killed when the motorcycle he was driving at night collided with a black cow on a blacktopped road.

On a sunny evening recently my son and his housemates decided to have a barbecue in their back garden. 

USA: A 7-year-old Houston girl managed to get out of an after-school education programme with a fake excuse note that she wrote herself, in large print with misspellings.

A symposium will be held at University College Cork (UCC) today to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cork-born writer Frank O’Connor’s death and to celebrate his legacy.

To bee or not to bee.. the question is whether mankind can continue to exist without them.

Sitting for long periods of time at work or at home does not increase the risk of early death, say researchers.

MEXICO: The arrest of a drug smuggler in scuba gear led to the discovery of a tunnel from Mexico.

USA: _{A US police officer has said he “happily obliged” a motorist who asked to take a selfie with him} after the man acknowledged that he had smoked marijuana before driving.

Smart underwear designed to protect male fertility from radiation emitted by smartphones and laptops has been unveiled by a British scientist.

Carrying out exercise during the early teenage years could reduce a child’s risk of developing diabetes later in life, health experts have said.

People who spend time watching aquariums and fish tanks could see improvements in their physical and mental wellbeing, according to new research.

Last-minute swotting for an exam before going to bed might be a good tactic for students, according to new research on the benefits of “sleeping on it”.

The launch of a new battery for homes that can store solar power for use in the evenings is “another nail in the coffin of conventional utilities”, it has been claimed.

Sea swimmers, surfers and water skiers may be at risk of picking up antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a British study suggests.

Europe has an estimated 421m fewer birds today than it did 30 years ago, a study has found.

Global emissions of carbon dioxide are set to rise again this year to reach a new record high, scientists said.

People who are overconfident fool others into believing they are more talented than they really are, according to a study. 

Overconfidence could have been partially responsible for the banking collapse – and here’s why.

They really are living up to their reputation.

A severe lack of vitamin D can double the risk of Alzheimer’s in older people, a study has found.

Still smoking, 460,000 cigarettes later

MANY people stop feeding the wild birds in their garden during the breeding season. The theory is it’s possible that young birds could choke on large seeds or pieces of nut that their parents bring back to them from bird feeders.

How cows make friends is to be investigated in a three-year study.

A study into whether physical activity alleviates the symptoms of depression has found there is no benefit.

A millionaire’s daughter was warned she could be jailed after being convicted today of driving looters on a late-night crime spree at the height of last summer’s riots in Britain.

Group psychology involving Buddhist meditation techniques can be just as effective at combating depression as medication, a study has found.

Neanderthals do not deserve their "stupid" reputation and used stone tools just as useful as those invented by early modern humans, say scientists.

NEANDERTHALS do not deserve their “stupid” reputation and used stone tools just as good as those invented by early modern humans, say scientists.

There are large numbers of basking sharks and some dolphins off the Cornwall coast but no fearsome great white sharks, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) in the UK said today.

THERE could be a link between politics and voting in the Eurovision Song Contests, according to academics.

THE governing British Labour Party is expected to win a record third term in office in upcoming elections, but a loss of trust in leader Tony Blair and a revamped opposition may severely reduce their grip on power.

Thousands of cancer patients may be putting themselves at serious risk by following the advice of websites promoting bogus cures, it was revealed yesterday.

The suicide bombings in Morocco which killed 41 people came just five days after a Western compound was targeted by bombers in Saudi Arabia.