Meanwhile, a diver survey authenticated the presence of a flame shell bed within the Sruth Lagaidh Narrows in Loch Broom.

BBC: Exploration around Ullapool confirms important species

Studying 21 populations of insects, which had been collected from infested apartments close to the university, the team discovered that the genes associated with resistance to pyrethroids were located in the bed bugs' tough outer shell.

BBC: Bed bugs 'dodge insecticides' with molecular tricks

Many types of clam escape predators by burrowing into the sea bed using alternating movements of their shell and of the soft, muscular foot contained within that shell.

ECONOMIST: Robots

Almost everyone seems to love Cathay Pacific for its smooth service and fantastic Hong Kong hub, but with an 81-inch-long first class bed, flat beds in business class, and shell seats in economy (meaning that even if the person in front of you reclines, their chair-back does not), Cathay's a particularly comfortable option for those who value their personal space.

BBC: Smooth skies: The world's best airlines