Cambridge Botanic Gardens aim to be “most accessible” in the world

The plant collection of Cambridge’s Botanic Gardens has been made available online for the first time through an online portal. It allows researchers around the world to search the plant database and request “dried plant materials”, a distinguishing feature of the project.

“We’re never going to be the biggest collection in the world, but we’re determined to be the most accessible,” explained Dr Sam Brockington, the curator of the Botanic Gardens.

Extra-dangerous extro-verts

Extroverts more likely to ignore Covid rules

A survey, carried out by psychologists at Cambridge, Harvard, and Columbia universities, found that “gregarious” extroverts do not like staying at home.

“Extroverts pose a particular challenge during the pandemic, because they are least likely to stay at home when governments advise it,” Dr Friedrich Götz, at Cambridge’s Department of Psychology, explained to the Cambridge Independent.

Neurotic participants, on the other hand, tended to lock themselves down before restrictions were even imposed.

A natural investment

Jesus College plants wildflower meadow

A new wildflower meadow is being planted at Jesus College, according to the Jesus Climate Justice Campaign.

The Campaign tweeted about the “great news”, hoping that it would mark “a commitment to biodiversity”.

The activists are lobbying for Jesus to fully divest and note that their “values must be expressed materially as well as aesthetically”.

Web of support

Catz community for disadvantaged students

‘Heads Up!’ is a new online community for disabled and otherwise disadvantaged students launched by two NatScis at Catz.

The website, which was set up by students Emma Dinnage andMhairi Mclay, already hosts information, case studies, and articles. Dinnage and Mclay plan to add videos and a mentoring scheme in the future.