WEIRD STUFF

Grizzly bear attacks can be prevented by drones

Human and bear contact is an issue in areas where both creatures cross path, but drones could fend off the beasts in a humane manner. As bears are drawn to food that can easily be accessed via rubbish, livestock and crops -- it keeps them coming back to public areas, which can lead to attacks on people or properties.

Wesley Sarmento, a grizzly bear management specialist in the US state of Montana, spent six years testing different methods -- including dogs, projectiles and chasing in cars -- on how to fend off bears, but drones appeared to be the "magic tool".

He wrote in a paper for the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science: "Drones outperformed other hazing techniques where the odds of a pursuit of a bear being possible increased 127 per cent relative to vehicular chasing, due to accessibility issues...

"Even at night, I could find bears from afar with the thermal camera, and then fly in closer to move them away from towns, homes, and livestock.

"The drone was such an asset that I couldn't imagine doing the job without it."

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Higher education linked to faster dementia decline

Highly educated people are more at risk of experiencing a "faster" death from dementia.

Research has suggested that those who decided to go to university have brain reserves that can protect against early signs of the degenerative condition -- which causes a decline in thinking, memory, and reasoning skills -- but by the time a diagnosis has been made, they are dealing with a much more serious form of the illness.

In total, 261 studies were examined, with 36 of those relating to education, and life expectancy following a diagnosis declined for every year of learning -- with 2.5 months taken off with every extra year of study.

Scientists at Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam wrote in the BMJ: "This paradigm postulates that people with higher education are more resilient to brain injury before functional declines.

"Once this reserve has been used up and dementia is diagnosed, these people are already at a more advanced stage of the underlying disease and clinical progression will be faster."

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Dog-walking could extend seniors' lives

Older people who walk their dogs every day could have a longer and healthier life.

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin found that those who frequently stroll with their furry friends improve their mobility.

For two years, a group was split in half -- people who walk their pooch four or more days per week and those who do not always go out with a dog -- and it highlighted that owners of their beloved pet could get up from sitting down 14 per cent quicker and were 40 per cent less likely to take a tumble -- with 20 per cent being less afraid of falling.

Professor Robert Briggs, consultant geriatrician at St James's Hospital in Dublin and co-author of the research, said: "This study demonstrates the potential benefits that regular dog walking can confer on older people.

"They had significantly better mobility, reduced likelihood of falls, and were less likely to develop a fear of falling.

"While this may be partly due to increased physical activity, it is also likely that increased social interaction, companionship and purpose derived from having a dog also plays an important role."