Tag: Science

  • Art and Science: If a Picture Could Say a Thousand Gigabytes…

    I don’t like big numbers. There are nine billion people in the world, but how many of us can honestly imagine of more than a couple thousand people? When you look at the moon on a clear night, it looks pretty close. But it’s actually over 240 thousand miles away! I think Norwich is a…

  • The Burns Night Face-Off: Haggis versus the Big Mac! Which is really better?

    Haggis is like Marmite: People love it or hate it. Banned in the USA and slammed by health critics, just how bad can this Scottish delicacy really be? Haggis is no longer the reserve of the ardent kilt-wearing Scot because more and more of us Burn’s Night revellers are opting for this authentic fare. Not…

  • Geek-Gadget of the Week: The SmartPen!

    Writing, just who does that anymore? With so much work being done on computers these days, the poor old pen has pretty much been consigned to the stationary drawer. Technology is now so portable that we can stay ‘connected’ in every conceivable situation: laptops for coffee-shop working, iPads and PDAs while commuting, and Smartphones when…

  • Can’t sleep? Why taking the Blue Pill is Best! (Unless you’re an Italian man)

    Insomnia is something all of us struggle with from time to time. Not being able to get off to sleep is perhaps one of the most frustrating and loathsome things in the world (second only to an itchy back). You can toss, turn, and even count sheep, but nothing seems to work. Sometimes your mind…

  • The Top 10 Medical TV Myths

    Everyone loves a good hospital drama. They tick all the boxes for good TV: Gritty plots, life and death situations, steamy relationships, ethical dilemmas and blood and gore. Now more popular than ever, medical TV dramas have come a long way in the last 50 years. But just how accurate are they? You might be…

  • When I pour a fizzy drink, why do bubbles stick to the straw?

    I was sat with friends and enjoying Christmas festivities, when this text came through: “Why do bubbles stick to the straw in fizzy drink?” My niece had come up with the question after watching bubbles dance around in a glass of soft drink. For a seven year old, this was a pretty good question. My…

  • Loyalty Cards: What the Supermarkets know about You!

    I bet that you own at least one loyalty or ‘reward’ card. They sound like a great idea - You get money and points for just doing your normal grocery shop! Well, if you think you’re getting something for nothing,�?then you’re wrong…The barcode bleep is like the soundtrack to modern society. And in the 21st…

  • Fact or Fiction: Do New Year’s Resolutions actually Work?

    New Year’s Resolutions: Just what is the point?�? I used to hate the idea of resolving to do something good just because it was a new year. And yet there seems to be something magical about the stroke of midnight on December 31st: Many of us pledge to get fit,�?save money�?or stop smoking. Having witnessed�?family…

  • Breaking News: Bomb Threat to Trowbridge, Wiltshire!

    Trowbridge doesn’t seem like a likely target for terrorists. But yesterday, the centre of the town became ‘locked down’ as bomb disposal squads investigated a ‘suspect bag’. I like the place, but a lot of people don’t. It’s the official county town of Wiltshire, a beautiful and historic region,�?yet Charles Moore from The Spectator�?described�?Trowbridge as…