February 24, 2014, by Liam Ross

Best of the blogs 17-23 Feb

The meaning of Ragnarok

According to the Jorvik Viking Centre, we narrowly avoided the end of the world this weekend 22 Feburary, as the cataclysmic event of Old Norse mythology, Ragnarok,  failed to transpire. But where does the word ‘Ragnarok’ come from, and what does it mean? Our Professor of Viking Studies, Judith Jesch, attempts to answer these questions and more on the Words for Words blog.

What is an extreme weather event?

We’ve missed Ragnarok, but we’ve had our fair share of unusual weather recently. The Weather Extremes blog is promoting discussion surrounding implications of extreme weather events past, present and future, as part of a new research project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. But what constitutes an ‘extreme’ weather event? The project is looking to hear your stories.

Is Ukraine governable?

Dr Adam Swain from the School of Geography discusses whether Ukraine is governable after the tragic events taking place in Kiev last week. Dr Swain delivers a concise and clearly written introduction to some of the underlying causes of the conflict.

No social life/ top 5 things to watch on TV

Student blogger Sarah is on placement, which means there isn’t a lot of time for a whole lot else in life right now. Highlights include Valentine’s Day presents from her parents and a free scone from John Lewis! Sarah has managed to keep up with some TV shows though, and gives her recommendations in this blog post, along with links to the shows that you can access with your University login.

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