Under Pressure's blog

Happy Tadpole

A 14-day-old tadpole tries a smile for the camera as it is photographed in minute detail by an electron microscope.

Displaying features normally invisible to the naked eye, the infant frog was caught in his garden pond by David Spears, a science photographer, who placed it under the £90,000 machine in his home laboratory in Kirkland, Somerset.

 

Mr Spears, 65, a former zoologist, said: “You can capture an image like this using a macro or a light microscope, but only an electron microscope gives you the same level of definition and depth of field. What appear to be his eyes are actually his nostrils as his eyes are much further back on his head.”

The tadpole is only 1cm long and the mouth parts with which it is forming the smile are used for scraping algae from the surfaces of rocks for food.

you can see clearly that he appears to be smiling

Mr Spears added: “All of him is in focus and you can see clearly that he appears to be smiling.”

After finishing college in 1970, Mr Spears went into neurobiology research and began working for the Open University when it opened. While there he set up the first electron microscope unit at the university and soon afterwards started working for London Scientific Films, an independent television production company.

He made more than 300 films, as a director and cameraman, and now creates images for scientific textbooks and journals all over the world — although every now and then he pops into the garden to find a new subject to put under the lens.

Making a will online

Did you know that you can make your Last Will and Testament online? It is a much easier and cheaper way to make a will, but is it safe or legitimate? Read on to learn more!

A Will is a legal declaration of who you want to inherit your estate when you die and who you want to administer the process of distributing your assets.(source: access-legal from Shoosmiths)

We often don’t want to think about what will happen after we die, because it makes us sad. However, the truth is everyone will die either sooner or later, and it is better to have your affairs in order when you do. Having a clear and comprehensive will makes it easier for your grieving family members to deal with the difficult process of sorting out and sharing your worldly possessions.

There are many ways to make a will, and the most common method is to hire a lawyer specially versed in the legal details of Wills and sit down with them to craft one. However, with the development of the internet this classic method is not the only one to choose from. These days, you can actually create your entire Will online!

How does it work?

When you are making a Will on an internet will-writing website, you will be provided with a detailed form to fill in specifying all of your details and personal requirements. The software will ask you all of the necessary questions and checks to understand your needs.

Once you have crafted the Will using the software you can preview the will to double check it.

All legal Wills written though online sites are checked by a qualified Will writer, and once they are approved you can pay for your Will online using a credit card and then either print it out or opt for the website to ship it to you in the post. These websites also allow you to add free updates to your Will later on.

Is it safe?

In the early days of the internet it was a scary thought to give so much personal information away over a website, but these days the reality is much different. Websites are so much more secure than they once were, and writing a Will online is totally safe.

There is also no need to worry about the validity of an online Will, as it is perfectly legal to prepare a Will in this way without a solicitor. As long as the Will is correctly worded, signed and witnessed, it is a fully legal document.

Advantages & Disadvantages

One of the major advantages of writing a Will online is the factor of convenience. Being able to write your own Will quickly and easily from the comfort of your own home makes this onerous task much less intimidating. Also, writing a Will online is often much cheaper than paying a lawyer for their time.

However, the disadvantage of online Wills is that they are not suited to any situation that is slightly more complex than the usual Will arrangement. If your situation is complex and you have a lot of detailed instructions and information in your Will, you might need to hire a lawyer to help untangle the confusing threads of your inheritance.

In conclusion, leave the complex wills to the lawyer, but as long as you have a basic and simple Will to write, crafting it online is an affordable and convenient option.

 

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Safer cycling to avoid accidents

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Riding a bike is an environmentally friendly and inexpensive mode of transport. However, there are dangers associated with cycling, so make sure you are aware of the safety precautions and rules of the road.

There are many benefits to using a bike to commute to and from work or school. You don’t have to pay for petrol, you know that you are not polluting the environment, you won’t have to struggle to find a parking space, and after a while you will have sexy muscular legs from your daily ride!

If you plan on riding your bike as a means of transportation, or just for fun, it is important to make sure that you do so safely. Unfortunately, according to Personal Injury Solicitors Access Legal, accidents involving cyclists are common and they have a very high chance of involving serious injury or worse. The images below are from this post on the cycling blog team at Access Legal

 

Luckily, you can minimize the risk of danger if you ride smart. Here are some tips that will make you a safer cyclist:

• Keep your bicycle well maintained. Remember “ABC”. A stands for Air, which refers to the air in your tires. Always keep them fully inflated. B stands for brakes, and they should always be clean and working properly before you ride. Finally C stands for Chain, and before you jump on your bike you should always look to see that it is clean and free of debris. Always check these important parts of your bike every time you ride.   
• Adjust the handlebars and saddle to suit you so that you have the most control over the bike possible. You can test whether the bike is the correct height by sitting on the seat and seeing if you can place your toes on the ground. If you cannot reach, adjust the seat lower for more control.
• Be as visible as possible, especially when riding at nighttime or even at dawn or dusk. Wear bright clothing or a reflective vest, and attach a light to your bike for riding in the dark.
• If you are wearing long pants, tuck them into your socks or tie them up so that you do not risk getting them caught in your chains. 
• Always signal with your arms to drivers on the road so that they know which direction you are turning. There are many online guides which show the illustrations of the proper arm signals for indicating when riding a bike.
• Don’t try to dodge between parked cars or cars stopped at a stoplight. Often, there is a “blind spot” where a driver seated inside a vehicle will not be able to see you and you could get hurt.
• Don’t listen to music while cycling, especially on a busy road with cars. If you cannot hear a car approaching beside you it could be very dangerous.
• Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Always look both ways before turning a corner and keep an eye on which direction all nearby cars and pedestrians are moving.
• Ride fast enough so that you keep up with the flow of traffic and make your moves decisively so that motorists understand what you plan to do. However, do not ride too fast so that you risk losing control of your bike, especially when riding downhill.

Cycling can be great fun, and it does wonders for your bank account, your health, and the environment. As long as you are a vigilant and prepared rider, you will enjoy using your bike to get anywhere you need to go!