Part 1 of 10 Facts that are actually fiction!
In everyday life we see things that we think, that can’t be real or that it must be fake. Social Media sites such as Facebook or Twitter are rife with unbelievable tales and stories. Some of these stories are so far-fetched and extreme that you struggle to believe that they are true, when in reality they are genuine. Some however are accepted as fact when in reality there is no truth in them at all.
In this four part blog series we will look at our top 10 facts that are fiction and our top 10 unbelievable facts.
1. If you are stung by a Jellyfish you should urinate on it.
There is a common myth that to relieve the pain from a jellyfish sting, you should urinate on it as the acidity will counteract the sting. This myth was also brought to mainstream attention in the aptly named Friends episode – “The One with the Jellyfish”
In truth, urinating on a Jellyfish sting is not advised as it will not help. In fact, if your urine is more alkaline than acidic, it could actually make the pain worse! The best course of action is to pour vinegar or seawater over the affected area! – It seems that Friends and others were taking the pee with this “fact”!
2. Santa Claus is red because of Coca-Cola
Rumour has it that before Coca-Cola got involved, Santa Claus used to wear Green threads but during an early marketing campaign from Coca-Cola, they switched the colour of his clothes to match their brand. This is why we now have a Santa who is predominantly Red and White.
After lots of research, including a statement from Coca-Cola themselves, it was found that Santa used to have a variety of looks before Coca-Cola came along. It’s very possible that the modern image of a red Santa is mainly due to the famous “Holidays are coming” campaigns but Santa also had a red wardrobe before this. There’s no accusing St Nick of being a dedicated follower of fashion, he’s much too in vogue for that!
3. The Great Wall of China is the only Man Made structure visible from space.
I’ve heard this during many a pub quiz – What is the only man-made structure visible from space? The widely accepted answer for this is the Great Wall of China. This however is false on two fronts.
There are a number of man-made structures that are visible from space, including but not limited to; The Greenhouses of Almería and Bridges such as the Golden Gate Bridge. (As a cheat, cities are also visible from space at night as they are lit up like a Christmas Tree!)
The Great Wall however is not actually visible from space. The common “fact” was actually around long before manned space missions were attempted and was supposedly based on being able to see “canals on mars”! – So the next time this comes up in a quiz be sure to let the quiz master know!
4. Like a red rag to a bull
I think we’ve all heard the phrase, like a red rag to a bull. Generally this means to incite someone/something. The term is related to the sport of bullfighting, where a matador (the person who fights with the bull) waves a flag or piece of cloth at a bull in order to get the bull to run at him/her. The cloth is traditionally a red colour, leading to the popular phrase.
Bulls however can’t distinguish red from other colours, it is the movement of the cloth rather than the colour that aggravates them. Bulls do seem to get an unfair reputation, as I’ve also never seen a Bull causing havoc in a china shop!
5. Daddy Long Legs are the most venomous spider in the world
Another long-standing myth is that the Daddy Long Legs, which is also know by a few other names such as harvestmen or granddaddy long legs, are the most venomous spider in the world but they are not dangerous to humans as their fangs are too small to pierce our skin. This is another myth that has been given extra exposure, this time from Ricky Gervais in his stand-up show, Animals.
This is also another myth that is wrong on two different levels. The creatures that we commonly refer to as Daddy Long Legs are neither spiders nor venomous. There is another species referred to as Daddy Long Legs, which is an actual spider but the venom causes nothing more than a mild sensation.
Unfortunately for the Daddy Long Legs it seems that our bark is much worse than their bite!
Did these tall tales inspire you to create some fictitious writing of your own? Why not study the Creative Writing Diploma with NCC and learn some new techniques?
With the UK Kennel Club currently recognising 215 breeds of show dog, and the vast numbers of dogs that are classed as ‘crosses’, choosing the best dog for you can be extremely difficult!
Currently, Labradors are the most popular dog breed in England, Ireland and Wales, according to a survey commissioned by Frontline Spot on. Only those in Wales had a different opinion on the best dog breed, voting for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Would a Labrador be the top dog for you? Don’t go barking up the wrong tree, and find out the best ways to choose below:
Choosing The Perfect Breed
Small, Medium or Large?
The best place to start is by choosing the size of the dog you want to adopt. There are many things to take into consideration, like the size of your home. If you live in a small studio flat, a Great Dane will take up most of your living area! Unless you want to live in cramped conditions, a smaller dog would be a better fit.
Clean freak?
Do you battle a daily war against dust and mess in your house? Or do you take a more relaxed approach to cleaning? If you are of the former category, you may want to stay away from adopting a Japanese Akita! As they originate from mountain regions, their coat is doubly thick to keep them warm, and this double layer sheds constantly.
Location, Location, Location
Are you a city slicker, or a fan of the fresh air and wide open spaces? You may be surprised to hear that dogs can also have a preference as to whereabouts they live. Some dogs, such as Greyhounds, require a lot more exercise than others. They are happiest when running around large fields, and some people have trouble letting them off the lead when in a city location. If you only have a small yard, and there are no large parks or fields nearby, the less space the dog has to run around and burn off some of that excess energy.
Family Affair
While you may be considering what effect a dog would have on your family life, you also need to consider the effect that your family life would have on a dog. Some dog breeds, such as Boxers’, are used to living in packs, and therefore get on well with the little people in your home. You may think that it would be a good idea to get a small dog to get along with your kids, however one of the tiniest breeds of dog are actually thought to be one of the worst for a family home. Chihuahua’s are extremely strong-willed, and have a tendency to become aggressive and jealous if not trained properly.
Living up to expectations
Everyone has a different opinion of what the perfect dog should be. Whether you want a dog to increase your activity levels, a companion for those times you get lonely or a guard dog for your home, the breed you choose should reflect the dog you want. There would be no point adopting a Bichon Frise and expecting it to guard your home effectively, nor would there be any chance of a Rottweiler snuggling up on your lap to watch the soaps!
Some me time?
With our busy modern schedules, nowadays it is normal for a house to be completely empty for 8 hours a day. While this may not seem like a big deal to you, those hours stretch out endlessly to a dog who has been left home alone. Some dogs, such as poodles, cannot handle being on their own, and can even suffer from a condition known as Separation Anxiety. This affects the behaviour of the dog, and can cause destructive behaviour, incessant barking and frenzied behaviour. If you are out of the house a lot during the day, it is best to choose a low-energy breed such as a Basset Hound, who are happy to spend most of the day sleeping when alone.
Money, money, money
Having a pet is an expensive business. Not only do you have to take into account the initial cost of the dog which can vary widely, some people spending thousands of pounds to get their favourite breed. However, you must consider the day to day costs of owning a dog, accounting for things such as food, toys, kennels and pet insurance. In 2014, a study by the People’s Dispensary of Sick Animals revealed that people spend between £16,000 and £31,000 on their pampered pooches throughout their short lives!
Adopting your dog
Once you have selected your breed of dog, you will be keen to find and adopt them as soon as possible. However, this is where many people run into problems, as some breeds are in high demand. While looking on websites such as Pets4Homes is a great way to find out about average prices, often the dogs are snapped up as soon as they are listed.
Instead, it is a good idea to follow your local dog rescue centres on social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Often, they post photographs and information about dogs as soon as they arrive at the centre, and if you are quick enough you can snap them up before they are posted on other adoption websites. If you are active enough on the pages of the adoption centres, they may get to know what type of dog you are after and could be kind enough to message you as soon as what you’re looking for comes in!
Everyone loves the thought of cuddling a tiny puppy, personally I spend more time than I care to admit just watching videos of them, and thanks to this puppies are often expensive and adopted quickly. If you change your search to a slightly older dog, you will probably have more luck – plus you won’t have to suffer through the trials of house-training!
The final thing on your check-list before adopting a dog is to actually meet it! You will never be able to definitively work out whether a dog is the perfect match for you just from an online post. All dogs have their own personality, and whilst you can train them, they will all have underlying traits they will have acquired from their previous homes. If this is something you are not prepared to live with, you should consider choosing a different dog to adopt.
If you are interested in learning how to best care for your dogs fur, why not take a look at our brand new Dog Grooming Diploma?
Have you ever wondered just how British you actually are? Well now you can judge for yourself with our top 10 reasons you know you’re British!
1. You know all the words to Don’t Look Back in Anger
A true staple of Britishness is when the classic Oasis hit is played, you know ALL the words, from memory, and join in with everyone else in reciting them in unison. Forget God Save the Queen, this song is the true Anthem of Great Britain.
2. There is a specific name for people from your region
Unique to Britain, every area, no matter how big or small, usually has its own name for the people who hail from there. We all know the most popular regional nicknames – Scouser, Cockney, Geordie, Brummie etc. But have you ever heard of a Woollyback or a Sand Dancer? What’s even more surprising, considering how small Great Britain is compared to most other countries, is that each of these regions will also have their own accent or dialect!
3. You’ve been on a terrible seaside holiday
Whether it be Blackpool, Southend, Barry or Dunoon, we’ve all been on a ghastly trip to a seaside resort somewhere in the UK. Usually let down by the Great British weather and questionable accommodation, the only redeeming feature is a visit to the local amusement arcade and the 2p machine. I’m still trying to win a cuddly lion from one of those claw machines!
4. Saturday Morning TV
No matter our age or what generation we grew up in, we have all watched trash TV on a Saturday morning! Whether it be Swap Shop, Saturday Superstore, Live & Kicking, SMTV or Dick & Dom. We have all risen from our pits first thing on a Saturday morning and been glued to the box with an assortment of weird and wonderful shows. I don’t know how many times I wished I could Challenge Ant!
5. You’ve had the pointless Jaffa Cake argument
You can forget “which came first, the Chicken or the Egg”! The ultimate British debate deals with something much more integral to society: “Is a Jaffa Cake a biscuit or a cake?” We’ve all had it, whether it be down the pub, in the office or at school. What’s more, the answer to this debate will not affect our lives in any way whatsoever – which is what makes the debate that little bit more British! FYI – it is definitely, absolutely, unequivocally a cake! Brits are the best at arguing over pointless facts, and there’s nothing more British than a pub debate over weird UK laws – we’re sure we’ve all had an argument over whether you can really wee in a policeman’s hat when you’re pregnant, or if it’s actually a legal requirement for taxi drivers to carry a bale of hay.
6. A nice brew will solve all life’s problems
A good cup of tea is somehow a miracle cure for all ailments. Sprained your ankle? Have a brew. Broke up with your partner? Have a brew. Tea is a very British institution, probably due to its medicinal purposes! We’re not too sure how this works, but it does, so we’re not asking any questions, we’ll just keep calm carry on drinking this magic potion.
7. Everyone knows someone called Dave
This is just one of those rare anomalies which we all have in common. Unlike the popular game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” we can all proudly say that we know someone called Dave, rather than just being linked through friends of friends. So next time you bump into your Dave, thank them for making you a part of a united Great Britain!
8. Feed the Ducks
As a child every British person in the history of this great nation has at some point donned their best raincoat, grabbed a loaf of stale bread and proceeded to provide sustenance to our local aquatic fowl. Although in recent years, the powers that be have decided that it is in fact unhealthy and potentially dangerous to feed ducks bread. This doesn’t change the fact that we’ve all done it…. Shame on us, but the ducks didn’t seem to mind at the time!
9. We love to hate road works
There are three things that are inevitable in life; death, taxes and road works. Sometime throughout the day we will encounter road works. When the particular stretch of road is complete they will just pop-up somewhere else. It’s just something we need to get used to. But secretly, as much as it enrages us that a 5 minute journey is now a 7 ½ minute journey, road works are great! Not only do they give us an alternative to the weather when talking to a complete stranger, but also they keep us from work in the morning by that extra 2 ½ minutes …. Lovely Jubbly!
10. Remember, remember, the fifth of November
What separates Britain from the rest of the world is our celebration of Bonfire Night. Yes, we might have our Royal Family, Roundabouts, Driving on Left (right side) road, Lifts, Cricket etc. But the thing that really sets us apart as a nation is November 5th. The Chinese can have their New Year, Americans can have Independence Day, Latin America Cinco de Mayo but in Britain we are proud of Bonfire night! Is there anything more British than standing in a queue, to see mediocre fireworks and stand around an open fire, while it rains? Nope, didn’t think so!
Are you interested in learning more about living in the UK and why we have certain customs? Take a look at our Social and Political History Diploma.
It seems that these days you can’t flip on the TV without stumbling across some kind of show about forensic science. Whether it’s engrossing documentaries such as Gabriel Weston exploring the history and development of forensic science on BBC4, or staples of the entertainment genre such as CSI, NCIS or Bones, these shows have done a lot for bringing one of the more thorough and technical aspects of criminal investigation to the forefront of people’s minds. This has led to universities and even ourselves seeing a huge growth in enrolment on forensic courses.
But what do these shows get right? And what do they get wrong? Below we’ve used our own detective skills to track down some liberties and some realities in how TV shows present forensics and criminal investigations.
Getting It Right: Method
For the most part, the criminal investigation in a film or TV show will be based on real-life processes and procedures that crime scene investigators utilise. How do they manage to get this aspect so right? Many TV shows dealing with the crime genre will often hire a former law enforcement officer as a technical advisor to ensure best practices of criminal investigation are observed. This might involve being on set to advise first hand or it could simply involve reading and editing the relevant parts of the script for accuracy.
Getting It Wrong: Fingerprints
When fingerprinting a suspect, they have to be taken very delicately in order to avoid smudging. One of the issues with police procedurals is the fact that perfectly formed fingerprints seem to be wherever the crime scene investigators look. For example, if a gun is the murder weapon and is left at the scene they’ll easily take a print off it, but when you think about how you would grip a gun it would be very hard to get an accurate fingerprint.
Getting It Right: Blood Splatter
When it comes to blood splatter, TV and film seem to believe that more is better. Occasionally they get it right though – Dexter, the TV show about the crime scene analyst/serial killer, was reasonably accurate at portraying the methodology and intricate recreation of blood splatter patterns from murders.
Over the course of his job, Dexter used red string to trace the paths of blood from source to end-point – calculating the intricacies of the crime which has been committed using his insider knowledge. The writers had obviously done their research.
Getting It Wrong: Paperwork
We get it – no one wants to settle down to watch a gritty crime show only to end up watching the hardboiled detective go through report after report at his computer for two hours. With that said, crime scenes demand intricate and in-depth documentation.
Crime scene photographs need to be submitted as evidence, diagrams of the crime scene have to be digitised and submitted as evidence, each item of evidence needs to be documented, then a report has to be written to reflect everything seen and done at the crime scene. With that in mind, two hours at a crime scene can create double that time in reporting rather than being out in the field and chasing down leads. Exciting!
Getting It Right: Procedure
One of the many reasons that The Wire revolutionised the police procedural show was because it took a case and built it up over the course of a season. It dug into the minutiae of building a case, collecting evidence and logging it all, rather than blasting through a new crime each episode.
In fact, the show got procedure so right that there were reports of real-life criminals watching the show to learn how to counter police investigation techniques!
Getting It Wrong: Technology
CSI seem to be under the impression that the police have access to futuristic technology that wouldn’t be amiss in Minority Report. To prove the point, one episode involved a member of the lab team using a handheld device in order to instantly retrieve a suspect’s criminal record.
The reality of technology at your locally police station is far less glamorous – their mainframe will literally just be a basic, albeit huge, database of information because that’s all they need and all they’re interested in.
Regardless of the career you’re pursuing, you’ll need to learn and understand the specialist jargon used in the industry in order to do your job effectively. To do this, you need to understand the language from the beginning, before you’ve even started your training.
Job titles in the accounting industry are quite different to many other areas, and this, accompanied with a lot of preconceptions means that many people think it’s a complicated field that only specialists can get in to. This isn’t true. In fact, all accountants start from the very bottom, regardless of whether they have a degree in accounting or they start as an apprentice straight from school, they all start as trainees.
As someone new to the industry, you’ll come across a huge number of new terms which may seem intimidating at first. However, the earlier you familiarise yourself with these terms, abbreviations and acronyms, the earlier you’ll get to grips with them and be able to throw yourself head first into a new career.
A
Accounts Receivable (AR)
Sum of money owed to you by customers after agreed goods or services have been delivered.
Accounting (ACCG)
A system of recording and reporting on financial information.
Accounts Payable (AP)
Sum of money you owe to creditors (your suppliers) for services or goods that they’ve delivered.
Assets – Fixed and Current (FA and CA)
Current assets will be used within a year. Typically this could be accounts receivable, cash or inventory. Fixed assets provide a long term benefits (lasting more than one year) to a company, for example land, machinery or buildings.
B
Balance Sheet (BS)
A summary of a company’s assets (what it owns) and liabilities (what it owes), as well as the owner’s equity at a specific point in time.
C
Capital (CAP)
A financial asset, such as goods or cash, and its value. Working capital is worked out by subtracting current assets from current liabilities.
Cash Flow (CF)
The expense or revenue expected to be generated through activities like manufacturing, sales etc. over a period of time. If a business is to survive the long term, a positive cash flow is essential.
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
The expense relating directly to the production of goods sold by a company. This is inclusive of the materials and labour used during production.
Credit (CR)
An entry onto an account that could either (depending on the transaction) decrease the assets or increase the liabilities and equity on a company’s balance sheet. For companies that use the double-entry method, there will be two entries for every transaction: a credit and a debit.
D
Debit (DR)
An entry of either an increase in assets or a decrease in liabilities on a company’s balance sheet.
E
Expenses – Fixed, Variable, Accrued, Operation (FE, VE, AE, OE)
The costs that a business incurs through its operations, whether they be fixed, variable, accrued or day-to-day. These payments may include payments to banks, suppliers, employees or equipment.
G
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
A set of guidelines developed by the accounting industry for companies to use when reporting financial data.
General Ledger (GL)
A record of financial transactions spanning the lifetime of a company.
L
Liabilities – Current and Long-term (CL, LTL)
The debts or financial obligations a business incurs during business operations. Current liabilities are debts that are payable within a year, for example money owed to suppliers, and long-term liabilities are payable over more than a year – a bank loan for example.
N
Net Income (NI)
The total earnings of a specific company. This is also known as the ‘bottom line’ and is calculated by subtracting total expenses from total revenues.
O
Owner’s Equity (OE)
The percentage of stock a person has as ownership interest in a company. These stock owners are usually referred to as shareholders.
P
Present Value (PV)
How much a future sum of money is worth today. It helps display the value in accepting a sum of money now, rather than the same sum a year from now.
Profit and Loss Statement (P&L)
A financial statement that summarises a company’s performance and financial position through the review of revenue, costs and expenses over a specific period of time.
Return of Investment (ROI)
A measure which evaluates the financial performance of a company in relation to the amount of money that’s been invested over the same period. The result is, more often than not, expressed as a percentage and is calculated by dividing net profit by the cost of the investment.
A career in accountancy is not only something that is valued throughout the world, it’s a career that’s very much in demand. If you’re interested starting a whole new career or just boosting your current qualifications, take a look at some of our online accountancy courses.
Everyone loves a great mystery. Whether you’re settling down to relax with a good book or binge watching a TV series, detective fiction transcends all boundaries and tastes by allowing you to actively take part in piecing the answers together along with the protagonist.
Whether you prefer your detectives with quirks or love the hardboiled approach, below we’ve assembled some of our favourite detectives who have appeared in comics, books and television over the years.
Monk
Adrian Monk brought a new quirk to the popular police procedural genre due to his obsessive compulsive disorder and vast list of phobias (including, but not limited to, milk, ladybugs, harmonicas, heights, driving, food touching on his plates, messes, and risk).
While this went some way to allowing him to pick up on evidence and clues others would miss due to his sharp memory and attention to detail, it inevitably had its drawbacks leading him to tamper with crime scenes and be unable to pursue suspects.
While a pleasant change to the hardboiled, hard drinking detectives we’re traditionally used to, Monk’s OCD was caused by tragic circumstances due to the murder of his wife, which caused him to have a nervous breakdown and leave the San Francisco Police Department. As such, his time on the TV show is spent consulting his former partners in a private detective role, aided by his watchful nurse.
Quote: “It’s a gift and a curse.”
Sherlock Holmes
Okay, we get no points for originality but no list would be complete without arguably the most popular and influential detective ever created.
Having been adapted into every form of entertainment imaginable – with varying degrees of authenticity to Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories – practically every fictional detective created has paid homage to Holmes in some shape or form over the past 100 years.
Lacking any type of empathy and with his cases noted down by friend and colleague John Watson, Holmes is a calculating and analytical thinker who solves crime for the love of the challenge rather than any plaudits or monetary reasons.
Quote: “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
Batman
Okay, so maybe he’s not who you immediately think of when you read the words ‘greatest detective’ but for proof all you need to do is pick up a few graphic novels. Also, the fact that DC, the publisher of Batman, state quite matter of factly that he’s ‘the World’s Greatest Detective.’
Though arguably anyone can solve crimes when they have a plethora of supercomputers, gadgets, vehicles and companions backing you up, Batman (or Bruce Wayne) has the kind of analytical mind and abilities that could easily match Sherlock Holmes. As a result he is routinely aiding the city’s police in uncovering mysteries and stopping schemes, as well as finding and apprehending some of the most colourful and imaginative villains ever created.
Quote: “I am Vengeance. I am the Night. I am Batman”
Jessica Fletcher
A mystery writer who solves mysteries? How meta! Though not a detective in the traditional sense, Jessica Fletcher seems to find herself in the maelstrom of murder at every turn… eerily these murders seem to be contingent on her being in the vicinity, leading many to theorise she’s actually some sort of murderous mastermind pinning it on some hapless patsy at the end of each episode.
A busybody for lack of a better term, Jessica invariably proves more perceptive than the official investigators and always manages to trap the real culprit.
Chances are you have the theme tune to ‘Murder, She Wrote’ stuck in your head now and for that I can only apologise.
Quote: “I don’t want to alarm you but something very sinister is going on here.”
Philip Marlowe
Whereas Sherlock Holmes might be the archetypal fictional detective, Marlowe is the character who all of the hardboiled and gritty detectives over the past 60 years have drawn their traits from – a hard-drinking and hard-smoking loner who has a way with the damsels in distress who usually frequent his office, Marlowe also has a more nuanced side with his prickly personality rounded out by interests in poetry and chess.
With a smart mouth, clever approach, and tough as nails attitude, Marlowe has one of the most fun and distinctive voices in fiction thanks to the penmanship of author Raymond Chandler.
Quote: “As honest as you can expect a man to be in a world where it’s going out of style.”
Columbo
Quietly unassuming, annoyingly sociable, and very very talkative, Columbo’s slept-in appearance (rounded out by his creased mac and half-smoked cigar) and general demeanour ensure that every single one of his suspects will underestimate him over the course of an episode.
Though viewers would see the infamous whodunnit at the beginning of every episode, we’d watch just to see how Columbo would piece it all together. With a keen attention to detail, quick wit, and disarming manner, Columbo would let his subjects think they’d gotten away with murder prior to tripping them up with his famous catchphrase–
Quote: “Oh, just one more thing…”
If you are in interested in learning more about real-life criminals and the profiling behind their convictions why not study our Psychology of Criminal Profiling course?
After finding himself redundant for the second time, Simon Ives was struggling to get to grips with part time employment. After working as a Senior Administrator and a PA, he decided that now was the time to consider a change of career.
He looked back over his previous employment, and it occurred to him that no matter what job role he had been in, he had always done copywriting and proofreading. He enjoyed both elements, and was good at them.
Simon’s choice was based on both enjoyment of the jobs and also for financial reasons. “My reasoning was that I could set up as a freelance and work from home using my laptop, with little in the way of outgoings as the majority of the work would be online”.
He was able to get a contact at a website design company who needed a freelance copywriter. He was hired by them to update their client’s news blogs on a monthly basis.
“For the proofreading side I decided it would be best if I had a qualification and embarked on the NCC Proofreading Diploma L4″.
“I found the course very well set out, using written material to study and then completing the exercises for each chapter online. My tutor was very helpful and quickly responded to any query I might have.”
Simon started the course in July 2014, and completed it in March 2015.
By completing the proofreading course, he is now able to add an extra service through his copywriting website, and by displaying his qualification he is able to demonstrate his skill accurately.
“I would thoroughly recommend this course to anyone seeking to embark on a career in proofreading.”
Simon went on to say:
“Finding myself aged 57, a senior administrator and PA redundant for the second time and struggling to get to grips with part time employment, it seemed the right time to consider a change of career. Looking back over my previous jobs, copywriting and proofreading stuck out as a couple of things that I had always done, no matter what my actual job role had been. I liked both and thought I was good at them.
My reasoning was that I could set up as a freelance and work from home using my laptop, with little in the way of outgoings as the majority of the work would be online. I was fortunate enough to be introduced to a website design company that needed a freelance copywriter to update their client’s news blogs on a monthly basis, so I had a start.
For the proofreading side I decided it would be best if I had a qualification and embarked on the NCC Proofreading Diploma L4. I found the course very well set out, using written material to study and then completing the exercises for each chapter online. My tutor was very helpful and quickly responded to any query I might have. Having started in July 2014 I successfully completed the course in March 2015.
I would thoroughly recommend this course to anyone seeking to embark on a career in proofreading. I can now add the qualification to my website and offer proofreading as an additional service alongside the copywriting.
Having decided to set up as a freelance copywriter and proofreader, I considered it would be best if I had a qualification and embarked on the NCC Proofreading Diploma L4. I found the course very well set out, using written material to study and then completing the exercises for each chapter online. My tutor was very helpful and quickly responded to any query I might have. Having started in July 2014 I successfully completed the course in March 2015. I would thoroughly recommend this course to anyone seeking to embark on a career in proofreading. I can now add the qualification to my website and offer proofreading as an additional service alongside the copywriting.”
NCC are very pleased to have helped Simon on his specific career path, why not contact one of our course advisors today and see if we can help you on yours?
Today is World Lion day. In honour of this international awareness day we have listed 10 facts both directly related to, and some indirectly related to our favourite Big Cat!
- Lions are the 2nd largest big cat in the world, behind the tiger. An average male lion weighs a whopping 180kg (28 stones, 4lbs) and an average female lion weighs around 130kg (20 stones, 6lbs). Although they have a huge size, a lion can run at around 50mph over short distances and even leap as far as 36 feet. No wonder Team GB did so well at the last Olympics with their Lion logo.
- Even though the male is the bigger of the two, it is the female that usually goes to hunt for food. The male then eats first when a kill has been made. This doesn’t sound too dissimilar to what happens in my house at dinner time!
- Although Lions are the second biggest cat, there has been controversy recently with Nestlé’s Lion Bar. The size has dramatically reduced in the recent years leading to widespread speculation about the link between Lion numbers in the wild and the size of the popular chocolate snack.
- Lions are extremely social compared to other big cats. Most other big cats are solitary in the wild, with adult females living with other big cats when they are with their young. Lions however maintain a strong family unit called a Pride. There is usually one or two male lions within each pride and a group of females.
- A good way to judge the age of a male lion is to look at its mane. The darker the mane the older the lion. Unfortunately this doesn’t apply to humans with hair generally becoming lighter (greyer!) with age.
- A lion’s roar can be heard up to 5 miles away and it is the largest of any big cat! Lions roar as a means of communication. It is usually used to mark their territory, so you can imagine a Lion’s roar as loosely translating to the famous EastEnders line “Get out my pub”
- Lions are the national animal for a number of different counties including: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, England, Ethiopia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Singapore. Although Lions are not native to many of the countries on this list – so don’t worry about bumping into one the next time you pop the shop for some milk!
- The Lion King was originally called “King of the Jungle” however Disney changed the name when they realised that Lions don’t actually live in the jungle! Lions actually live in grasslands and plains. King of the Field just doesn’t have the same ring to it!
- The Lion King is both the best-selling home video of all time and also has the bestselling soundtrack of all time. Oblivious a lot of people felt the love tonight with that film!
- Disney Originally wanted Sean Connery to voice Mufasa in the film but in the end the part was given to James Earl Jones. Just imagine instead of a Circle of Life we could have had the Shircle of Life
If you are looking to learn more about animals in general, why not take a look at our Zoology Diploma?
Philosophy can be a hugely rewarding subject, helping to expand your worldview and develop intellectual skills and thought processes that can provide some guidance on how to live your life.
Philosophy can be a hugely rewarding subject, helping to expand your worldview and develop intellectual skills and thought processes that can provide some guidance on how to live your life.
Our Philosophy Diploma touches on some of the most influential classical and contemporary philosophers and below we’ve listed a selection of these great minds and thinkers:
John Locke
Known as the Father of Classical Liberalism, John Locke’s influence is pretty undeniable – as one of the first British Empiricist’s, he influenced a who’s who of philosophers including David Hume, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Immanuel Kant, and his ideas on representative forms of government even extended to the rhetoric of America’s Declaration of Independence.
Rene Descartes
Viewed as the Father of Modern Philosophy, Descartes is a controversial figure in philosophy circles as he refused to accept the authority of previous philosophers who had come before him. He emphasised the use of reason in the development of the natural sciences, and pioneered the idea of Dualism whereby the mind controls the body but that the body can also influence the rational mind. Descartes is perhaps most famously know for the phrase “I think, therefore I am”, theorising that as thought exists – and thought cannot be separated from the thinker – then they exist too.
Immanuel Kant
Philosophy as a subject tends to be split into pre and post-Kant because his ideas were so ground breaking. One of Kant’s major philosophies was that fundamental concepts are the very structure of human experience and that the concept of reason is the source of humanity’s morality. Using this he aimed to resolve disputes between empirical thinkers and the rationalist thinkers by arguing that experience is subjective without being processed by reason.
Ludwig Wittgenstein
Coming from trouble and turmoil of a rich and influential Austrian family, Wittgenstein developed his philosophical ideas over the course of his lifetime – arguably doing a 180* turn on his earlier musings – which continue to be debated. His early thoughts, showed the application of modern logic in regards to metaphysics via the use of language – providing insight into the world, thought, language, and philosophy. In his later philosophies, Wittgenstein attempted to critique all traditional philosophy, including his own, and developed the idea that philosophy is not a doctrine and hence should not be approached stubbornly.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Shining brightly for a brief period of time in the 19th Century, Nietzsche’s work looked at theories such as achievement and ambition (characterised as the Will to Power), the Ubermench principle which asserts that every man should focus on the goal of advancing humanity, and the concept of Amor Fati and Eternal Recurrence whereby everything has happened before will happen again and we should embrace our fate. Nietzsche’s influence remains substantial in philosophy subjects such as existentialism and post-modernism and his work continues to influence modern day thinkers.
Forensic science is a field where precision and exactitude are vital. The developments which make forensics such a trusted and valuable resource in criminal investigations – from the crime scene to the courtroom – have taken groundbreaking research and scientific work to discover and perfect. The technology and its uses continue to develop, and with NCC, you could become a part of its exciting future.
So, where did it all begin? As early as the 16th century, medical experts and academics on the continent were beginning to examine the way in which a death caused by extreme violence would damage bodily organs. This was the first time that cause of death was examined in this methodical and systematic way. It was a far cry from the forensic detail of the techniques that have followed it, but it was a huge step in paving the way towards more complex procedural discoveries.
The UK
Whilst those developments happened on the continent, here in the U.K., many groundbreaking techniques were being cultivated. In 1784, the first formative use of what would become Ballistic Fingerprinting was used in a criminal investigation – and was also one of the first examples of Physical Matching. John Toms was convicted of murder after the torn edges of paper found in his pistol were a match for papers found in his pocket.
In 1835, the first use of ballistics as we now know it was used by Scotland Yard. Investigator Henry Goddard compared the bullets at a scene to prove that Joseph Randall – the accused – had lied in his testimony. Goddard proved that all the bullets at the scene matched one another and would have come from the same gun, successfully discrediting Randall’s story of an exchange of gunfire between him and a gang of men.
Away from the police stations and court rooms, further technologies were being developed for future forensic use. In 1854, physician Richard Leach Madox perfected dry plate photography. This technique which bettered Daugerre’s version was heralded in forensic circles, as it made taking photos of inmates for prison records a manageable task. This would become crucial in keeping track of repeat offenders and was arguably a prototype for the Criminal Database.
The first major forensic developments regarding blood happened at the beginning of the 20th century. Karl Landsteiner won the Nobel Prize for the discovery of human blood groups in 1901, and his successor Max Richter adapted his techniques to forensic science through validation experiments. The developments of these two men formed the backbone for all subsequent blood work used to convict or clear those accused of crimes.
The 20th Century
The 20th century saw a surge of increasingly advance forensic techniques which only required tiny samples to determine an accurate profile, and were able to prove that the chances of a sample belonging to anyone other than an offender were in the billions-to-one.
Whilst the early decades of the 1900s saw the first murder in the U.K. to be based on fingerprint evidence and Calvin Goddard (no relation to Henry) perfecting the ballistic comparison microscope, the single most important technology so far came in 1984, at the University of Leicester.
It was Sir Alec Jeffreys, a research fellow who discovered a method for identifying individuals by their DNA, using the technique of Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP). This system broke down DNA samples into segments, and the resulting restriction fragments were separated based on their length, using a stunning new technique named Gel electrophoresis.
Just three years later, the first major conviction based on DNA took place, appropriately enough in Leicestershire, where a man was convicted of two murders, using this remarkable new forensic tool as the central piece of evidence.
Forensics Now
Since then, DNA techniques have become increasingly more refined, and the cataloguing of forensic information has become more thorough, through systems like the UK’s NDNAD and America’s CODIS.
As with any science, the basics of forensic science and the ethos that created its developments are still key. The focus on precision, the thirst for knowledge and improvement and a commitment to justice have always been central to this field. From logistical matters like being careful to collect evidence without disturbing a crime scene to complex DNA analysis, forensics has always combined precision with progress.
Why not start your journey into forensic science today?