Why Does Alcohol Make You Drunk?
Alcohol has been used by humans for medicinal and recreational purposes for thousands of years (see the sidebar ‘When Was Beer First Brewed’), but scientists still aren’t entirely sure how it makes us tipsy
Being British and the Art of Queuing
Being British can be a complex business and there is one part of our identity that will confuse ‘Johnny Foreigner’ no end – Queuing!
Socrates’ Antidote to Gossip – The Three Filters
As the saying goes “There’s nothing new under the sun”. And nothing is truer than when it comes to people gossiping, even in ancient Greece over 2,000 years ago. Here’s how the great Socrates dealt with it, his three filters.
Why Do We Forget?
Forgetfulness is irritating and can be damaging and distressing, but it may also be necessary for basic survival – so why do we forget ?
Does Being Cold Make You Sick ?
“Winter is coming,” and we all remember our parents telling us to “put a jacket on to go outside or you’ll catch a cold!” But is this true? Does being cold make you sick ?
The founding of the Eternal City – Rome – Fact & Fiction
On the 21st April 753 BC, according to Plutarch, the city of Rome was founded. In this article we look at the myths and legends surrounding the foundation of the ‘Eternal City’.
Modern Compensation Culture and the Ancient Practice of Wergeld
If there is one thing that is a blight on modern life it is the rise of ‘compensation culture’. The idea that someone else is always to blame and you are entitled to some compensation no matter what. But the origins of this are far older than you might think.
Why Does Time Seem to Go Faster as We Get Older ?
As you get older does it sometimes feel that time is passing much more quickly than when you were younger? Why does our perception of time change so drastically with age? And is there anything we can do about it?
Fifty Flabergastic Factoids
50 falbergasting factoids from the most eminante intelellectual fluff gathering team on the planet …. known as the QI Elves
6 Words That Are Older Than You Might Think – Unfriend, Trick Out, OMG, LOL, Punk, Dude
In the English language new words come into being daily. There are, however, some words that we might just associate with the hipster speak of todays’ social media that turn out to be a lot older than you might think . So here are six of them.
Are We in a Digital Information Dark Age Right Now ?
We are living in an age when the amount of data being collected every minute from the daily lives of those on the planet has never been greater. Information is literally is at our fingertips. So how could we be in a ‘Digital Information Dark Age’ ?
Medieval Cookery – Pease Pudding
Made famous in a Nursery Rhyme, nowadays most commonly cooked in the north-east of England, pease pudding is a dish that evolved from medieval pease pottage, In this article we show you how to make it yourself.
What Would Happen If You Stopped Sleeping ? – Would you Die ?
Ahhh, sleep! You can never have enough of it, it seems. But what if you stopped sleeping altogether?
Did Chaucer ‘invent’ Valentines Day ?
Did Geoffrey Chaucer invent Valentine’s Day? – In this article we look at how he may have influenced it.
What is Love ? (Scientifically Speaking)
What is Love ? : A very deep and involved question. However in this article we will restrict ourself to the scientific point of view. What is going on in our bodies, and brains when we fall in love or see the object of our inner most desires.
