Pet perks

Staff and students can now register their pets with the University’s Department of Veterinary Medicine. Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital (QVSH) has launched a new general practice, which will provide 24/7 care and emergency support for the university’s furry friends. Each animal registered will also have an important job: to help teach the University’s Vet Med students! Students can gain clinical experience and education, all while caring for the university’s beloved pets. Since its launch, four cats have already registered with the service: Cheese, Toast, Chutney, and Beanies. Their owner, Charlie Le Vine, said that: “The staff there are always friendly and welcoming from start to finish, and you can tell the vets genuinely love what they do.”

Christ’s is risen! (to the final of University Challenge)

Christ’s College have secured a place in this season’s final of University Challenge. The College resoundingly defeated Bristol University 220-50 on Monday’s (21/4) broadcast. The College has not made it to a final of University Challenge since 1970. Captained by Oscar Despard, who is studying for a PhD in molecular Biology, the team were quizzed on culinary culture, medieval Welsh historians, and ancient Mycenaean civilisation. Their rival in the final will be decided on Monday (28/4), as Darwin College, Cambridge, and Warwick University face off on BBC Two at 8:30pm. Could we be set for an all-Cambridge final?

Darwin’s drawings given UNESCO status

A collection of Charles Darwin’s personal writings, many of which reside in the University Library, have been recognised by the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. The collection of the famous scientist’s notes, photographs, diagrams and letters totals over 20,000 documents, split over six UK institutions. The collection at the UL contains the former NatSci’s pocket notebooks, which detail the development of his theory of evolution. They also feature the famed ‘Tree of Life’ diagram. Dr Jessica Gardner, the University Librarian, said: “We could not be prouder of UNESCO’s recognition of this remarkable documentary heritage at the University of Cambridge, where Darwin was a student at Christ’s College and where his family connections run deep across the city, and are reflected in his namesake, Darwin College.”

Cambridge scientists conduct sleep study

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University in Shanghai have found that better sleep could benefit memory and heart rate, with just 15 minutes' more sleep producing "differences in brain structure and activity". According to Cambridge's Professor Barbara Sahakian, "surprisingly little" was known about sleep in adolescence. The study suggested that young people could perform better in tests and have greater brain function if they go to bed earlier and sleep for longer. Cognitive tests in reading, vocabulary, and problem-solving found that the children who slept the longest performed the best, with those who slept for shorter amounts having the smallest brain volume and poorest brain function.