Theory on sex opens door to European elite

Some real heroes are coming from Pozarevac today.

Mirko Djorjdevic (23) a student of molecular biology at the University of Belgrade is the winner of the international competition for the best science communicator ‘Fame Lab’ held in Great Britain. The competitors were from ten countries including the Great Britain. Mirko Djordjevic’s topic was ‘Sexual selection and sexual behavior of people’.

‘The Great Britain has scientific consciousness which, unfortunately does not exist in Serbia. The time has come that our country starts dealing with that problem and I would be glad to give my contribution to that.

The Faculty of biology in Belgrade where I study and the whole world celebrate 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and 150 years since publication of his famous book ‘The Origin of Species’.

My essay on sexual selection has been dedicated to that occasion. I spoke about sexual behavior of people in an interesting and funny way.

Winning this reputable world competition resulted in offers I got from Oxford and Cambridge to continue my study there’, Mirko says.

He presented his work in English.

‘Although all doors in the world have been opened to me I would like to stay in Serbia upon completion of my studies. In Belgrade I have support for what I am doing and I cooperate with ‘Sinisa Stankovic’ - the Institute for biological research, the Institute for protection of plants and the Institute for forensic medicine.

I can use their labs and I am working with fine people that believe in me. I am bringing from Britain a lot of new experience that I intend to implement here. The most important thing for me is that Serbia is going out of scientific isolation and is developing global science.In Britain there is developed culture of scientific popularization and in Serbia there is no communication between scientists and population. That link has to be established via media but here there are no scientists who know to talk to media nor media to talk with scientists. In Britain scientists are not imprisoned in their laboratories but appear in public frequently. They, for example want to hear what people think about genetically modified food.

The point of the competition I won is to create science communicators who shall bring science close to ordinary people’, Mirko Djordjevic says.

Million-year-old mammoth skeleton found

KOSTOLAC -- A skeleton of a mammoth believed to be one million years old was discovered near Kostolac in eastern Serbia.

The discovery was made at the Drmno surface coal mine, close to the Imperial Mausoleum of the Viminacium Archeological Park. The bones were found 27 meters deep, in a layer of yellow sand.

The Park's director, Miomir Korać, told that it is believed the skeleton belongs to one of the oldest mammoth species found in Europe.

"We were actually very close to the spot when the machinery hit the mammoth remains and we reacted immediately," Korać recounted the moment when the skeleton was found. "We managed to stop them, and were lucky to now have almost the entire mammoth. The skull and tusks were somewhat damaged."

"What is very interesting is that the poor creature met its death and remained in a layer of some sort of gravel, which means that it is practically preserved, and not even tectonic movements have influenced it to move or dislocate. We found it the way it died," Korać continued.

The skeleton of the female mammoth was found 27 meters deep, in a layer of yellow sand. The 4.5-meter tall, six-meter long animal, weighing some ten tons, is believed to have arrived to the Balkans from north Africa.


Unlike the mammoth found near Kikinda, in northern Serbia, whose remains are some half a million years old, this one is believed to have arrived in what is today eastern Serbia from northern Africa.

But Korać explained that about one to one and a half million years ago, mammoths from northern Africa migrated to southern Europe.

This archeologist said that the find is exceptionally important, consisting of almost the entire skeleton of a mammoth species belonging to the oldest ever found in Europe.

"Discoveries of these species of mammoth are very rare. That fact alone speaks about its value," said Korać.

The mammoth found near Kosotolac will be restored and exhibited at the Archeological Park in Viminacium – once a major Roman stronghold in the territory of today's Serbia.


Deputy PM Božidar Đelić, who visited the site on Saturday, said that what the mammoth now needs is – a name.

Some media, however, are apparently ahead of the minister, already referring to it as "Vika".

The skeleton will not be taken to Belgrade; instead, it will be exhibited at the park, Korać said.

Đelić described the discovery and the Roman site nearby as an "important commercial chance for Serbia".

"The search is on for the name, and I'm calling on all Serbians to propose one, so that we can christen this mammoth of ours, the oldest in the Balkans. At this point, some 50-60,000 people visit Viminacium every year. Our goal is to have 300,000 come here."

"This is absolutely achievable, we are Roman land," Đelić was quoted as saying, and adding, "Viminacium is one of 12 sites where we can show everything that the Roman Empire has left on our country's soil."

Canadian actor Rob Stjuart in Serbia

Although it seemed like utopia, the legendary Nick Slaughter, played by the Canadian actor Rob Stewart in the famous TV series “Tropical Heat”, has really arrived in Serbia! Members of “Atheist Rap”, the band from Novi Sad, welcomed Stewart at Nikola Tesla Airpor, as well as numerous fans dressed in the well-known “Hawaii” shirts…

Since the plane by which Stewart arrived was late, impatience among the fans who organized the whole event on “Facebook” was mounting. The most impatient fans were three friends in colorful shirts holding DVD edition of “Tropical Heat”, with covers that they made by themselves, so that Slaughter can sign them.

“We escaped from work, faculty and military service. We would even escape from prison, because this is once-in-a-lifetime experience- to meet Nick Slaughter in person. We wish Silvie was with him,” said Nikola, Milos and Ivan.

Yesterday about 1.15 PM, the loud applause announced arrival of Stewart who arrived in Belgrade with his sister and agent. Smiling and in good mood, the Canadian actor was patiently posing for press photographers, and then gave autographs. People at the airport waiting for some relatives to leave the plane were completely confused by the tumultuous atmosphere and were interested to find out who the star was. When they heard it was Nick Slaughter, they exclaimed in disbelief: “I can’t believe it!”

“This is much more than I expected. We will stay in Serbia for tow weeks and shoot a documentary. We will talk to people about your history, impressions about “Tropical Heat”… We want to present Serbia in Canada in a way it had never been done before,” said Stewart.

After the reporters welcomed him with ovations, Stewart said honestly: “It is all so great that I still think that someone is really teasing me.”

“I can’t believe that we are really here because everything was organized so quickly. After we arranged our visit to Serbia, a series of strange circumstances ensued: until then, the only Serb I had known was by adopted brother John whose actual name is Branko, then it turned out that our lawyer is from Serbia, as well as the waiter in my favorite Restaurant,” said Stewart, who will perform on June 6 with the band “Atheist Rap” at the festival “To Be Punk” in Novi Sad.”

“If they turn off the volume, I am sure I will sound great at the concert. Our plan is simple. We will drink and have fun as much as possible,” Stewart concluded.