a scientist has warned britain is facing a collapse in society similar to ancient rome - because we 've lived too peacefully for too long . london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- nothing says true love like releasing a caged butterfly , do n't you think ? wayne rooney and coleen mcloughlin are to be paid $ 5 million for the picture rights to their wedding . the butterflies are reported to be the piece-de-resistance of england 's most anticipated celebrity wedding of the year . australian historian dr jim penman claims britons today have lost the drive for innovation that epitomised the victorian era as we enjoy a more comfortable standard of living . he has drawn parallels between modern-day britain and 100bc in rome - when the city was at its most powerful as it captured more land overseas and greater wealth poured into the centre . historian dr jim penman has drawn a parallel between the roman empire in 100bc - when julius caesar , pictured , was ruler - and britan today , warning this country is heading for a similar collapse in society . wayne rooney , the best english footballer of his generation , and coleen mcloughlin , his high school sweetheart , were to marry in an estimated $ 10 million ceremony in italy thursday . as they kiss , guests are apparently meant to open boxes and release the butterflies . the moment has been pilloried widely in the british media , tacky and over the top they all think , but is it just sour grapes ? it has been a long and , at times , bumpy road for the couple to the altar . one littered with fierce criticism from the british press , which has enjoyed nothing more than lampooning rooney and mcloughlin for being ` common . ' the daily mail once even asked : `` is this britain 's ghastliest couple ? '' rooney has been dubbed `` shrek '' and `` mr potato head '' due to his looks and his background as the son of a school dinner lady who grew up on a council estate is often referred to in a disparaging way . dr jim penman -lrb- left -rrb- has suggested britons have lost the biological drive for innovation that helped huge social , economic and industrial changes during the victorian era , ruled over by queen victoria -lrb- right -rrb- . however over subsequent centuries there was a rise in social divisions , inequality and political tensions - which resulted in its demise . making the comparison dr penman said : ` it was a time when democracy was moving towards despotism and in britain we are now see that politics is becoming much more about individuals rather than political parties . the two-party system has started to break down ' , the sunday telegraph reports . ` we live in a golden age where there have been no major wars in europe for three quarters of a century . but the economy is stagnating and we 're having fewer children . ` and once european countries can no longer defend themselves , the end of national independence can not be long delayed . ' dr penman , of the rmit university in melbourne , made the claims in his book ` biohistory : decline and fall of the west ' , and adds that christianity helped drive social change in britain which transformed the roles of women and children . civilisations move in ` cycles ' dependent on factors such as food supply , religion and conflict , while epigenetics - a field of study within dna - explains how people 's attitudes and temperament change over time and thus shape society , he argues . mcloughlin , meanwhile , has been subjected to page upon page of bitter stories about her weight , shopping sprees and her lack of closeness to victoria beckham . there has also been fierce criticism over the fact she has managed to become a millionaire in her own right . it 's all down to rooney apparently , and nothing to do with her appearing to be quite a decent person , who did well at school and has cleverly managed to parlay some of her fame into various media and advertising projects . anyone who has seen her television show -- coleen 's real women -- can see she is a decent , bubbly person , who is very good at putting people at ease . much to the media 's fury , the couple have sold the rights to cover the wedding to ok magazine for a record $ 5 million . however they 're not pocketing all the cash themselves , with an undisclosed sum from the fee to be donated to the claire house children 's hospice in cheshire -- where mcloughlin 's disabled foster sister rosie is cared for . the queen 's grandson , peter phillips and his bride autumn kelly , recently received $ 1m from hello magazine to cover their wedding but they did n't receive an eighth of the opprobrium now directed at the more generous , but lower class , rooney and mcloughlin . ` the first world war had an epigenetic effect in that mothers made anxious by the war gave birth to an unusually aggressive generation which was the main cause of the second world war ' , he writes . moreover , in lieu of presents , rooney and mcloughlin have also asked guests to donate money to the alder hey children 's hospital in liverpool . the wedding might be over the top , with a private yacht and luxury jet for guests -lrb- they are covering the guests ' costs -rrb- , expensive plonk and a $ 200,000 wedding dress , but at least the couple have worked hard for what they have . their success despite a working-class background appears to be the greatest source of frustration for critics . it 's just not on that someone who was n't born into privilege and did n't go to a posh school can enjoy their wealth . that would be ugly . if anything , the couple 's relationship and success is a triumph over adversity . they have known each other since mcloughlin was 12 , but she spent two years fending off rooney 's entreaties to go out on a date . ` but now we are becoming a lot less warlike and much more reluctant to fight . people no longer want to join the army , or become engineers . people would rather do arts degrees . ' he finally got his chance when he saw her struggling to fix a broken bicycle chain . he rode over to help , popped the question again and got a yes . surely they should be congratulated for creating their own modern fairytale complete with butterflies ? the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer .
dr penman argues british people have lived too peacefully to innovate . rising inequality and division will lead to a collapse in society , he warns . adaption of genes means we are less aggressive or likely to go to war .
a scientist has warned britain is facing a collapse in society similar to ancient rome - because we 've lived too peacefully for too long . london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- nothing says true love like releasing a caged butterfly , do n't you think ? wayne rooney and coleen mcloughlin are to be paid $ 5 million for the picture rights to their wedding . the butterflies are reported to be the piece-de-resistance of england 's most anticipated celebrity wedding of the year . australian historian dr jim penman claims britons today have lost the drive for innovation that epitomised the victorian era as we enjoy a more comfortable standard of living . he has drawn parallels between modern-day britain and 100bc in rome - when the city was at its most powerful as it captured more land overseas and greater wealth poured into the centre . historian dr jim penman has drawn a parallel between the roman empire in 100bc - when julius caesar , pictured , was ruler - and britan today , warning this country is heading for a similar collapse in society . wayne rooney , the best english footballer of his generation , and coleen mcloughlin , his high school sweetheart , were to marry in an estimated $ 10 million ceremony in italy thursday . as they kiss , guests are apparently meant to open boxes and release the butterflies . the moment has been pilloried widely in the british media , tacky and over the top they all think , but is it just sour grapes ? it has been a long and , at times , bumpy road for the couple to the altar . one littered with fierce criticism from the british press , which has enjoyed nothing more than lampooning rooney and mcloughlin for being ` common . ' the daily mail once even asked : `` is this britain 's ghastliest couple ? '' rooney has been dubbed `` shrek '' and `` mr potato head '' due to his looks and his background as the son of a school dinner lady who grew up on a council estate is often referred to in a disparaging way . dr jim penman -lrb- left -rrb- has suggested britons have lost the biological drive for innovation that helped huge social , economic and industrial changes during the victorian era , ruled over by queen victoria -lrb- right -rrb- . however over subsequent centuries there was a rise in social divisions , inequality and political tensions - which resulted in its demise . making the comparison dr penman said : ` it was a time when democracy was moving towards despotism and in britain we are now see that politics is becoming much more about individuals rather than political parties . the two-party system has started to break down ' , the sunday telegraph reports . ` we live in a golden age where there have been no major wars in europe for three quarters of a century . but the economy is stagnating and we 're having fewer children . ` and once european countries can no longer defend themselves , the end of national independence can not be long delayed . ' dr penman , of the rmit university in melbourne , made the claims in his book ` biohistory : decline and fall of the west ' , and adds that christianity helped drive social change in britain which transformed the roles of women and children . civilisations move in ` cycles ' dependent on factors such as food supply , religion and conflict , while epigenetics - a field of study within dna - explains how people 's attitudes and temperament change over time and thus shape society , he argues . mcloughlin , meanwhile , has been subjected to page upon page of bitter stories about her weight , shopping sprees and her lack of closeness to victoria beckham . there has also been fierce criticism over the fact she has managed to become a millionaire in her own right . it 's all down to rooney apparently , and nothing to do with her appearing to be quite a decent person , who did well at school and has cleverly managed to parlay some of her fame into various media and advertising projects . anyone who has seen her television show -- coleen 's real women -- can see she is a decent , bubbly person , who is very good at putting people at ease . much to the media into privilege and did n't go to a posh school can enjoy their wealth . that would be ugly . if anything , the couple 's relationship and success is a triumph over adversity . they have known each other since mcloughlin was 12 , but she spent two years fending off rooney 's entreaties to go out on a date . ` but now we are becoming a lot less warlike and much more reluctant to fight . people no longer want to join the army , or become engineers . people would rather do arts degrees . ' he finally got his chance when he saw her struggling to fix a broken bicycle chain . he rode over to help , popped the question again and got a yes . surely they should be congratulated for creating their own modern fairytale complete with butterflies ? the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer .
a scientist has warned britain is facing a collapse in society similar to ancient rome - because we 've lived too peacefully for too long . london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- nothing says true love like releasing a caged butterfly , do n't you think ? wayne rooney and coleen mcloughlin are to be paid $ 5 million for the picture rights to their wedding . the butterflies are reported to be the piece-de-resistance of england 's most anticipated celebrity wedding of the year . australian historian dr jim penman claims britons today have lost the drive for innovation that epitomised the victorian era as we enjoy a more comfortable standard of living . he has drawn parallels between modern-day britain and 100bc in rome - when the city was at its most powerful as it captured more land overseas and greater wealth poured into the centre . historian dr jim penman has drawn a parallel between the roman empire in 100bc - when julius caesar , pictured , was ruler - and britan today , warning this country is heading for a similar collapse in society . wayne rooney , the best english footballer of his generation , and coleen mcloughlin , his high school sweetheart , were to marry in an estimated $ 10 million ceremony in italy thursday . as they kiss , guests are apparently meant to open boxes and release the butterflies . the moment has been pilloried widely in the british media , tacky and over the top they all think , but is it just sour grapes ? it has been a long and , at times , bumpy road for the couple to the altar . one littered with fierce criticism from the british press , which has enjoyed nothing more than lampooning rooney and mcloughlin for being ` common . ' the daily mail once even asked : `` is this britain 's ghastliest couple ? '' rooney has been dubbed `` shrek '' and `` mr potato head '' due to his looks and his background as the son of a school dinner lady who grew up on a council estate is often referred to in a disparaging way . dr jim penman -lrb- left -rrb- has suggested britons have lost the biological drive for innovation that helped huge social , economic and industrial changes during the victorian era , ruled over by queen victoria -lrb- right -rrb- . however over subsequent centuries there was a rise in social divisions , inequality and political tensions - which resulted in its demise . making the comparison dr penman said : ` it was a time when democracy was moving towards despotism and in britain we are now see that politics is becoming much more about individuals rather than political parties . the two-party system has started to break down ' , the sunday telegraph reports . ` we live in a golden age where there have been no major wars in europe for three quarters of a century . but the economy is stagnating and we 're having fewer children . ` and once european countries can no longer defend themselves , the end of national independence can not be long delayed . ' dr penman , of the rmit university in melbourne , made the claims in his book ` biohistory : decline and fall of the west ' , and adds that christianity helped drive social change in britain which transformed the roles of women and children . civilisations move in ` cycles ' dependent on factors such as food supply , religion and conflict , while epigenetics - a field of study within dna - explains how people 's attitudes and temperament change over time and thus shape society , he argues . mcloughlin , meanwhile the war gave birth to an unusually aggressive generation which was the main cause of the second world war ' , he writes . moreover , in lieu of presents , rooney and mcloughlin have also asked guests to donate money to the alder hey children 's hospital in liverpool . the wedding might be over the top , with a private yacht and luxury jet for guests -lrb- they are covering the guests ' costs -rrb- , expensive plonk and a $ 200,000 wedding dress , but at least the couple have worked hard for what they have . their success despite a working-class background appears to be the greatest source of frustration for critics . it 's just not on that someone who was n't born into privilege and did n't go to a posh school can enjoy their wealth . that would be ugly . if anything , the couple 's relationship and success is a triumph over adversity . they have known each other since mcloughlin was 12 , but she spent two years fending off rooney 's entreaties to go out on a date . ` but now we are becoming a lot less warlike and much more reluctant to fight . people no longer want to join the army , or become engineers . people would rather do arts degrees . ' he finally got his chance when he saw her struggling to fix a broken bicycle chain . he rode over to help , popped the question again and got a yes . surely they should be congratulated for creating their own modern fairytale complete with butterflies ? the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer .
a scientist has warned britain facing a collapse society similar ancient rome - because we 've lived peacefully. london, england -lrb- cnn -- nothing says true love releasing a caged butterfly, do n't you wayne rooney and coleen mcloughlin are to paid 5 the picture rights their wedding. the butterflies reported the piece-deresistance england 's most anticipated celebrity wedding of. australian historian dr jim penman claims britons today lost the drive innovation that epitomised the victorian era as we enjoy a more comfortable standard. he has drawn parallels modern-day britain 100bc in rome - when at powerful as captured more land overseas greater wealth poured. historian dr jim penman has drawn the roman empire in 100bc - when julius caesar, pictured, ruler - britan today, warning this country society. wayne rooney, the best english footballer and coleen mcloughlin were to marry an estimated $ 10 million ceremony italy thursday as they kiss, guests apparently meant open boxes release the butterflies. the moment has been pilloried widely, tacky over they all think, is just sour grapes it has, at bumpy the couple the altar. one littered fierce criticism the british press, enjoyed nothing rooney and mcloughlin for being ` common. ' the daily mail once even asked : `` is this britain 's ghastliest couple? '' rooney has dubbed shrek `` mr potato head due his looks his background the son a school dinner lady grew a council estate is often in. dr jim penman -lrb- left -rrb- has suggested britons have lost the biological drive innovation that helped huge social, economic and industrial changes during the victorian era, ruled over queen victoria right. however over subsequent centuries there a rise social divisions, inequality political tensions - which resulted its demise making the comparison dr penman said : ` it a time democracy moving in britain we are see politics much about individuals. the two-party system has started break ', sunday telegraph reports ` we live there have no major wars europe for three quarters. but the economy we 're having fewer children. ` and once european countries can no defend, the end national independence can long. ' dr penman, of the rmit university melbourne made the claims ` biohistory : decline fall the west adds christianity helped drive social change britain which transformed the roles women. civilisations move ` cycles dependent factors food supply religion conflict while epigenetics - within dna explains people 's attitudes temperament change thus shape society he mcloughlin, meanwhile subjected page upon bitter stories her weight, shopping sprees her lack closeness victoria beckham there has also fierce criticism over she managed become a millionaire. it 's all down rooney apparently, nothing her appearing quite a decent person who did well school has cleverly parlay some various media and advertising projects anyone seen her television show -- coleen 's real women see she a decent, bubbly person, good putting much to the media 's fury, the couple sold the rights cover to ok magazine for 5 however they 're pocketing themselves, with an undisclosed sum from the fee to donated the claire house children 's hospice cheshire -- where mcloughlin 's disabled foster sister rosie cared. the queen 's grandson, peter phillips and his bride autumn kelly, recently received $ 1m hello magazine but did n't receive an eighth the opprobrium now directed more generous, but lower class rooney mcloughlin. ` the first world war had an epigenetic effect in that mothers made anxious by gave an unusually aggressive generation which the main cause ', he moreover, in lieu presents rooney and mcloughlin have also asked guests donate the alder hey children 's hospital liverpool. the wedding might over the top, with a private yacht luxury jet for guests -lrb- they covering the guests ' costs -rrb-, expensive plonk a $ 200,000 wedding dress, but worked what. their success despite a working-class background appears the greatest source frustration critics. it 's just not on that someone was n't born into privilege did go can enjoy their wealth. that would ugly. if anything, the couple 's relationship and success a triumph over they known mcloughlin 12, she spent fending rooney 's entreaties. ` but now becoming lot warlike much reluctant. people no join the army, or become engineers people would rather do arts degrees. ' he finally when saw her struggling fix a broken bicycle chain. he rode over help, popped again a yes. surely they should congratulated creating their own modern fairytale complete butterflies? the opinions.
a scientist has warned britain is facing a collapse in society similar to ancient rome - because we 've lived too peacefully for too long . london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- nothing says true love like releasing a caged butterfly , do n't you think ? wayne rooney and coleen mcloughlin are to be paid $ 5 million for the picture rights to their wedding . the butterflies are reported to be the piece-de-resistance of england 's most anticipated celebrity wedding of the year . australian historian dr jim penman claims britons today have lost the drive for innovation that epitomised the victorian era as we enjoy a more comfortable standard of living . he has drawn parallels between modern-day britain and 100bc in rome - when the city was at its most powerful as it captured more land overseas and greater wealth poured into the centre . historian dr jim penman has drawn a parallel between the roman empire in 100bc - when julius caesar , pictured , was ruler - and britan today , warning this country is heading for a similar collapse in society . wayne rooney , the best english footballer of his generation , and coleen mcloughlin , his high school sweetheart , were to marry in an estimated $ 10 million ceremony in italy thursday . as they kiss , guests are apparently meant to open boxes and release the butterflies . the moment has been pilloried widely in the british media , tacky and over the top they all think , but is it just sour grapes ? it has been a long and , at times , bumpy road for the couple to the altar . one littered with fierce criticism from the british press , which has enjoyed nothing more than lampooning rooney and mcloughlin for being ` common . ' the daily mail once even asked : `` is this britain 's ghastliest couple ? '' rooney has been dubbed `` shrek '' and `` mr potato head '' due to his looks and his background as the son of a school dinner lady who grew up on a council estate is often referred to in a disparaging way . dr jim penman -lrb- left -rrb- has suggested britons have lost the biological drive for innovation that helped huge social , economic and industrial changes during the victorian era , ruled over by queen victoria -lrb- right -rrb- . however over subsequent centuries there was a rise in social divisions , inequality and political tensions - which resulted in its demise . making the comparison dr penman said : ` it was a time when democracy was moving towards despotism and in britain we are now see that politics is becoming much more about individuals rather than political parties . the two-party system has started to break down ' , the sunday telegraph reports . ` we live in a golden age where there have been no major wars in europe for three quarters of a century . but the economy is stagnating and we 're having fewer children . ` and once european countries can no longer defend themselves , the end of national independence can not be long delayed . ' dr penman , of the rmit university in melbourne , made the claims in his book ` biohistory : decline and fall of the west ' , and adds that christianity helped drive social change in britain which transformed the roles of women and children . civilisations move in ` cycles ' dependent on factors such as food supply , religion and conflict , while epigenetics - a field of study within dna - explains how people 's attitudes and temperament change over time and thus shape society , he argues . mcloughlin , meanwhile , has been subjected to page upon page of bitter stories about her weight , shopping sprees and her lack of closeness to victoria beckham . there has also been fierce criticism over the fact she has managed to become a millionaire in her own right . it 's all down to rooney apparently , and nothing to do with her appearing to be quite a decent person , who did well at school and has cleverly managed to parlay some of her fame into various media and advertising projects . anyone who has seen her television show -- coleen 's real women -- can see she is a decent , bubbly person , who is very good at putting people at ease . much to the media
 A scientist has warned that Britain is facing a collapse in society similar to ancient Rome, due to a lack of innovation and a widening gap between the rich and poor. Dr. Jim Penman claims that Britain's economy is stagnant and that the country is losing its drive for innovation, leading to a decline in living standards. He also notes that the wealthy are becoming increasingly disconnected from the rest of society, leading to a breakdown in social cohesion. The article goes on to describe how Dr. Penman's warnings are echoed by other experts who see a crisis in British society, with some even predicting a "Roman-style" collapse.