News

History was made yesterday as Austrian adventurer Felix Baumgartner jumped from a greater height and reached faster speeds than any other human ever has before. In a specially made helium balloon he rose to a height of 39km, on the edge of space, before jumping off.

The stunt was the culmination of seven years work and had already been put off several times in the past week after adverse weather conditions. Even when Baumgartner finally did get the chance to get off the ground the mission didn't go completely smoothly.

As the balloon made its slow ascent higher and higher above New Mexico the tension was palpable. Finally, after over two hours and at 128,100 foot above sea level, it reached its peak and Baumgartner was led through a number of pre-jump checks. It was only then that he discovered that a heater in his helmet wasn't working and his visor kept steaming up. Despite emphasising "this is very serious" over his radio, the team as a whole decided to continue with the jump.

Starting a new year at university is one of the times when staying fit and healthy usually takes a back seat. Chances are your body will be taking quite a bit of punishment at the moment, with late nights, alcohol and a ‘creative' diet not especially helping.

Whilst it is pretty unrealistic to think that you can stay at the peak of health throughout university, you can at least make yourself feel as though you're reasonably healthy. Here we have our top five tips to achieve just that during the busy first months at university. Some are just plain, good advice for staying healthy, others are cheats that can trick your body in to thinking everything is well.

1) Exercise

Ok this is not exactly revolutionary advice, but it's amazing how much better you feel after doing some exercise, even if its just a walk into lectures. Whilst the university sports centre may seem expensive now, believe me, it is waayyy cheaper than regular sports centres, so make use of it.

Find a friend who enjoys the same sport as you and set a time and day each week that you play against each other. Make it competitive and you're less likely to duck out with a hangover. One more thing- for the next 6 months, indoors is better, as bad weather can be an easy excuse to stay in bed.

You hear odd stories on the internet all the time, but it seems as though this week they have gone in to overdrive. Every day something strange has appeared, each story more unusual than the last. Here we have a round-up of some of the more bizarre news stories of the week.

Speed of Sound Skydive

An Austrian adventurer has decided it is a good idea to jump out of a hot air balloon 36.5km above the earth, on the edge of space (pictured above). Felix Baumgartner yesterday attempted to break the world record for the highest ever skydive, as well as becoming the first human to reach the speed of sound unaided by a vehicle.

Him and his vast team of scientists were all set to go in Roswell, Mew Mexico yesterday afternoon, but unfortunately weather conditions were too windy. The specially designed balloon that will take him up to such heights cannot cope with even the lightest of winds due to how thin the material is. The team are hoping that they will be able to attempt it again tomorrow.

This weekend marked the 50th anniversary of the first Beatles single to reach the charts in Britain. Celebrations have been going on up and down the country to toast the most successful and acclaimed band in the history of popular music.

Ever since the opening sounds of John Lennon's harmonica in ‘Love Me Do' were heard, the British music scene has never been the same. Though only a relatively minor hit, the single marked the first time that the Beatles came to the public's attention. Over the next year their star climbed faster and higher than anyone could have imagined as Beatlemania swept first Britain and then the US.

Now, fifty years on, the band has just as many fans willing to come out and celebrate, both young and old. The festivities this weekend centred around the Beatles' hometown of Liverpool, in the north-west of England. 

The latest world university rankings have been released by Times Higher Education, showing some unexpected trends. Whilst US and British universities still dominate the top 200, Asian universities are noticeably beginning to gain ground. The rankings measure 13 different attributes of an institution which encompass its teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

At the top the list, California Institute of Technology (above) takes the number 1 spot for the second year running, with the University of Oxford following close behind in joint second with Stanford University. The top ten is made up exclusively from US and UK universities, with Cambridge coming in seventh and Imperial College London in eighth. Indeed, of the top 200, over half are from one of the two countries; the US claiming 76 and UK 31.