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So this is where the inspiration for the Queen in the film Aliens comes from then! The Queen Termite is a giant egg laying machine, laying about 30,000 eggs a day. Her partner, the King Termite, stays with her throughout her life, and mates with her continuously. Her abdomen is so swolen, that she is unable to move or look after herself, so she has a whole chamber of servants that feed and clean her. They also look after the eggs she produces. Unlike the Queen Alien, she is unable to detach herself from her egg sack, so in the event of an ant raid, she is completely helpless and unable to defend herself. This can result in her being carried off by hundreds of ants to become a living feast. Most of the time, though, she manages to live between 15-20 years. She normally grows to about 4 inches long. For more Termite information, have a look at the termite Wikipedia page.
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The "Maggot from Italy's Tomb?" The "Black Widow" of St Bartholomew? Or one of the finest examples of power politics and survival ever seen? Well, I would have to say yes to all of the above, and more! Catherine was one of the most complex characters in a time of massive internal strife in France, with enemies both within (Guise, D'Albret) and abroad (Philip II of Spain).
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Born in Kent Town, Adelaide, Australia, Mark Oliphant was a Physicist, who received the prestigious Hughes Medal (other recipients include Alexander Graham Bell, Enrico Fermi, Stephen Hawking, and Andre Geim). He was also a life-long vegetarian after seeing a pig slaughtered at a farm as a child.
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The third movement of Haydn's Cello Concerto in C Major is one of my favourite pieces of music. It is a truly joyous piece, and one which I find uplifting. The first performance I heard was by 13-year-old Han-na Chang, who took my breath away with her skill, musicianship and dynamism.
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New research from Dutch scientists has revitalised the search for the elusive Majorana Fermion. The Majorana Fermion was first predicted about 75 years ago by Italian scientist Ettore Majorana, one of the Via Paspernera Boys - a group of scientists named after the street where their lab was located.
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Water. Without it, we would not exist. Covering nearly 71% of the world’s surface, it is one of the key building blocks of life on Earth. We think we know all about it, how it works, and what it does. But Gerald Pollack, Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington, Seattle, is sure we don’t!
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Franco Fagioli is an Argentinian Countertenor "who seems to redefine the capabilities of the countertenor voice." He has won great acclaim for his performance in the role of Arbace in the recent all-male production of Vinci's Artaserse, and will soon be releasing an album celebrating the star castrato Caffarelli.
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© James Edward Hughes 2013