Latest news with #UniversityOfExeter
The Independent
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Student who ‘does not like running' aims to run 500km in 10 days
A student who claims not to enjoy running is attempting to run 500km in 10 days for charity. Sean Tilson, 21, hopes to raise £5,000 for the cancer charity Sarcoma UK. Last year, he completed four challenges in four months, which included a 100-mile run and Ironman triathlon. For the past eight months, Mr Tilson been training for his latest endurance feat. The University of Exeter student is setting off on Thursday from the city and will be stopping off at schools along the route to talk with students about mindset. His route will take him from Exeter to Fleet in Hampshire, via Birmingham and Eton and Windsor. He credits mindset with turning his life around after he lost his mother at the age of 14 to sarcoma, a term that describes bone and soft tissue cancer. 'I'll be talking to them about mindset and my belief that the only voice that limits you in your life is your own,' he said. 'For a large chunk of my life I felt pretty powerless, like I was alone in a crowded room and didn't quite fit in, but through mindset I was able to turn that narrative around. 'I did this by imagining the person I wanted to be and defining the values I wanted to live by – courage, curiosity, kindness and integrity – and using those four values as the framework to evaluate my decisions.' Mr Tilson, who will graduate later this year with a degree in business management, has been the president of five societies while at the university, including the endurance society IronFit. He said that while being a good runner, he does not enjoy it. 'For me it's very much a discipline, a way to measure what I can accomplish when I stick with something,' he said. 'But it's a fascinating sport that's taught me so much about resilience and how, even in your lowest moments, like when I did my 100-mile challenge and was struggling to stay in the race, you can turn things around. 'These days I find running meditative, so I think I will enjoy this challenge, especially as I've got such a great team around me. 'Realising that mindset is where true growth lies has really helped me make the most of my time here at Exeter. 'I want to encourage others to take a step forward, be kind to yourself, but always be guided by that vision of the person you want to become.' In the autumn he will start a graduate job in New York as a business analyst.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Student who ‘does not like running' aims to run 500km in 10 days
A student who claims not to enjoy running is attempting to run 500km in 10 days for charity. Sean Tilson, 21, hopes to raise £5,000 for the cancer charity Sarcoma UK. Last year, he completed four challenges in four months, which included a 100-mile run and Ironman triathlon. For the past eight months, Mr Tilson been training for his latest endurance feat. The University of Exeter student is setting off on Thursday from the city and will be stopping off at schools along the route to talk with students about mindset. His route will take him from Exeter to Fleet in Hampshire, via Birmingham and Eton and Windsor. He credits mindset with turning his life around after he lost his mother at the age of 14 to sarcoma, a term that describes bone and soft tissue cancer. 'I'll be talking to them about mindset and my belief that the only voice that limits you in your life is your own,' he said. 'For a large chunk of my life I felt pretty powerless, like I was alone in a crowded room and didn't quite fit in, but through mindset I was able to turn that narrative around. 'I did this by imagining the person I wanted to be and defining the values I wanted to live by – courage, curiosity, kindness and integrity – and using those four values as the framework to evaluate my decisions.' Mr Tilson, who will graduate later this year with a degree in business management, has been the president of five societies while at the university, including the endurance society IronFit. He said that while being a good runner, he does not enjoy it. 'For me it's very much a discipline, a way to measure what I can accomplish when I stick with something,' he said. 'But it's a fascinating sport that's taught me so much about resilience and how, even in your lowest moments, like when I did my 100-mile challenge and was struggling to stay in the race, you can turn things around. 'These days I find running meditative, so I think I will enjoy this challenge, especially as I've got such a great team around me. 'Realising that mindset is where true growth lies has really helped me make the most of my time here at Exeter. 'I want to encourage others to take a step forward, be kind to yourself, but always be guided by that vision of the person you want to become.' In the autumn he will start a graduate job in New York as a business analyst.
The Independent
7 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Drone footage reveals orcas making tools from kelp to groom each other
Orcas, also known as killer whales, have been documented using an ingenious method to groom one another, a new study reveals, by detaching sections of seaweed to provide a communal back scratch. Researchers observed the marine mammals biting off the end of a kelp stalk, positioning it between themselves and a companion, and then rolling the seaweed between their bodies for extended periods. This unique behaviour, akin to a shared massage, highlights the complex social dynamics of these apex predators. The intriguing findings were detailed in a study led by the Centre for Whale Research (CWR), in collaboration with the University of Exete. The paper, published in the journal Current Biology, is entitled: 'Wild killer whales manufacture and use allogrooming tools.' Scientists spotted the behaviour in drone footage of southern resident orcas in the Salish Sea, in the inland waters of the US state of Washington. Whales of all ages were seen partaking in the tool-making, possibly to strengthen social bonds and promote skin health, researchers suggested. CWR research director Dr Michael Weiss said researchers were 'amazed' when they first noticed the behaviour. Several whale species are known to engage in 'kelping' – moving kelp with their heads, fins and bodies – likely for play, or possibly to remove parasites and maintain healthy skin. The new discovery, dubbed 'allokelping', is different because the kelp is selected, trimmed and manipulated by two whales working together. Dr Weiss added: 'Bull kelp stalk is firm but flexible, like a filled garden hose, with a slippery outer surface. I suspect these features make it an ideal grooming tool. 'What I find remarkable about this behaviour is just how widespread it is in the population. 'Males and females of all life stages and from all three southern resident pods were seen using kelp in this way. All evidence points to it being an important part of their social lives.' The team observed allokelping on eight out of 12 days included in the study and based on their observations, suspect that this behaviour may be universal in this population. Whales were most likely to pair up to allokelp with close maternal relatives, and those of similar age. Rachel John, a masters student studying animal behaviour at the University of Exeter, said: 'This population of whales has been formally studied for 50 years – the best-studied orcas on the planet – and yet major new discoveries can still be made. 'We hadn't noticed 'allokelping' before because the videos being collected from our previous aircraft weren't of high enough quality, but the footage we're getting now shows this behaviour in great detail.' Commenting on the possible reasons for allokelping, Professor Darren Croft, of the University of Exeter and CWR's executive director, said: 'We know touch is really important. 'In primates – including humans – touch moderates stress and helps to build relationships. 'We know killer whales often make contact with other members of their group – touching with their bodies and fins – but using kelp like this might enhance this experience. 'It might also be important for skin health. Whales and dolphins have a variety of strategies to help them slough dead skin, and this may be yet another adaptation for this purpose. 'Brown algaes like bull kelp also have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that may provide further benefits to the whales.' Professor Croft said researchers were working to confirm the initial findings and 'investigate the social and skin health benefits of this behaviour'. Other orcas are known to rub their bodies on smooth stone beaches, possibly to remove dead skin and parasites, but the southern resident whales have not been seen doing this. Funders of the study included the UK Natural Environment Research Council and the Orca Fund, a grant making fund created by Wild Fish Conservancy and administered by the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
Orcas use seaweed to help scratch each other's backs
Isn't it annoying when you've got an itch on your back that you just can't reach? Well orcas have found a way around that according to researchers. Scientists at the Centre for Whale Research (CWR) and the University of Exeter have observed the marine mammals making seaweed tools to massage and scratch each other's backs with. Dr Michael Weiss from CWR said they were "amazed" when they first noticed the the population of whales has been studied for 50 years, it's the first time the behaviour - called allokelping - has been observed as the cameras haven't been able to record in as high a quality before to see it. Allokelping involves the orcas detaching lengths of seaweed called kelp and biting off the end of it. Dr Weiss describes kelp as "firm but flexible, like a filled garden hose, with a slippery outer surface" adding "I suspect these features make it an ideal grooming tool."Once they've shaped it into a tool, they will put it between themselves and another orca and start massaging each other with behaviour was filmed by drones off in the Salish Sea, in the inland waters of Washington in the US. There are whale species where 'kelping' has already been observed. This is where whales move among the seaweed and sometimes wear it like a hat to keep their skin healthy. But allokelping is different because the kelp is specifically shaped by two whales working together. The behvaiour was seen in both males and females of all ages, although they were most likely to pair up with close relatives of their mothers or those of a similar age. Professor Darren Croft from the University of Exeter said: "We know touch is really important."In primates - including humans - touch moderates stress and helps to build relationships."We know killer whales often make contact with other members of their group - touching with their bodies and fins - but using kelp like this might enhance this experience."It might also be important for skin health. Whales and dolphins have a variety of strategies to help them slough dead skin, and this may be yet another adaptation for this purpose."
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
West Coast killer whale species spotted grooming each other with kelp
Scientists have spotted a subset of killer whales using seaweed to scratch each other's backs, marking the first known identification of 'tool' usage by marine mammals. The 'southern resident' killer whales, whose behaviors are the focus of a new study, have been biting off the ends of kelp stalks, positioning the fragments between themselves and a partner and then rolling the kelp between their bodies for prolonged periods. The study authors identified the practice via drone footage of these orcas, publishing the findings on Monday in Current Biology. This small community of black-and-white mammals inhabits the Salish Sea, located in the inland Pacific Ocean waters between the state of Washington of British Columbia. 'What I find remarkable about this behavior is just how widespread it is in the population,' lead author Michael Weiss, of the Washington-based Center for Whale Research, said in a statement. Weiss and his team discovered the unexpected behaviors while conducting aerial surveillance of these whales, which are members of a critically endangered population of just 73 individuals. The researchers said they have been monitoring the whales since 2018 to better understand their social and foraging behaviors. 'While there are other killer whales around the world, the southern residents represent a genetically, ecologically, and culturally distinct population,' said Weiss, who is also affiliated with the Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour at the University of Exeter in the U.K. Via high-resolution footage collected by their drones, Weiss and his colleagues saw that the whales were creating tools by breaking off the ends of bull kelp stalks. They observed that whales across all social groups, both sexes and age classes then participated in the grooming behaviors — although they did so with closely related whales or similarly aged partners. The scientists also observed that those whales with more molting or dead skin were likelier to engage in grooming, suggesting a potential hygienic role, according to the study. 'Bull kelp stalk is firm but flexible, like a filled garden hose, with a slippery outer surface. I suspect these features make it an ideal grooming tool,' Weiss said. They identified the practice — dubbed 'allokelping' — on eight out of the 12 days they included in their study. Weiss emphasized the element of surprise inherent in their discovery, noting that this population has been undergoing 'nearly 50 years of dedicated observation.' 'To me, this demonstrates not just the power of new observation methods but also how much we still have to learn about these animals,' he said. Co-author Rachel John, a University of Exeter master's student, made echoed these sentiments, noting that 'new discoveries can still be made' even regarding the 'best-studied orcas on the planet.' As for the possible reasons behind the allokelping behavior, senior author Darren Croft explained in a statement that 'touch is really important' among primates, as this sensation 'moderates stress and helps build relationships.' 'We know killer whales often make contact with other members of their group — touching with their bodies and fins — but using kelp like this might enhance this experience,' added Croft, a professor at the University of Exeter and the executive director of the Center for Whale Research. Other possible reasons he cited were improvements to skin health, as well as benefits from the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of brown algae like bull kelp. Hypothesizing that allokelping is 'a cultural behavior unique to southern resident killer whales,' the scientists emphasized the importance of protecting these endangered mammals. Weiss stressed that the outlook for southern resident killer whales is 'very bleak,' as the current birth rate is insufficient to sustain the population long-term. This decline is in part due to their struggle to find enough fatty Chinook salmon that they require for their survival. 'If we lose them, we lose so much more than 73 individual animals or a genetic lineage,' Weiss said. 'We lose a complex society and a deep, unique set of cultural traditions.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
