What is the Evidence Supporting Claims of Spontaneous Human Combustion?
Nov13

What is the Evidence Supporting Claims of Spontaneous Human Combustion?

In the 150 years since Dickens described the horrific death of Krook the rag-dealer in Bleak House, several hundred cases of apparent spontaneous human combustion in humans have been recorded. They typically involve the rapid yet complete incineration of the person, often with no obvious nearby source of heat. But what of any scientific analysis ?

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From Robot to Airy-Fairy to Cyberspace – 10 Beautiful Words Coined by Famous Writers
Oct23

From Robot to Airy-Fairy to Cyberspace – 10 Beautiful Words Coined by Famous Writers

If you look at the number of words in the English language you’ll find that estimates vary between 500,000 and just over 2 million, depending on how you count them. You will find that some of these words were simply “made up” by various authors at one time or another but they’ve proved so popular that they’ve entered our everyday lexicon like Robot, Airy-Fairy, Banana Republic, Cyberspace, Co-ed and many more.

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The Guernsey Dingbat Quiz 3
Sep28

The Guernsey Dingbat Quiz 3

Dingbats are always a good source for visio-cryptic style quiz questions. So in this article we’ve created some exclusive Guernsey themed Dingbats – they are either Guernsey Places or ‘Guernsey things’.

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Epic One Liners
Sep21

Epic One Liners

Do you ever find yourself lost for a reply when someone passes a sarcastic remark or craftily insults you. Well they say “Forewarned is forearmed” so here we list some potential pithy replies to arm yourself with or some canny witticisms you can insert into a conversation.

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Are Old Windows Thicker at the Base Because Glass Flows Like Syrup ?
Sep18

Are Old Windows Thicker at the Base Because Glass Flows Like Syrup ?

This is one of those urban myths that refuses to die. The idea that glass is really a viscous liquid, so thick that it takes centuries for it to flow. But what is the truth ?

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Insults We Should Bring Back
Sep04

Insults We Should Bring Back

There’s something deliciously satisfying in a well timed, properly placed insult or barb. In this article we look at a rag tag collection of insulting words and phrases we think should be brought back along with a miscellany of insulting zingers and factlets.

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Why Are Eggs Egg Shaped ?
Aug24

Why Are Eggs Egg Shaped ?

Another one of those random questions that seem to come out of nowhere as it flits across our minds – Why Exactly are Eggs egg Shaped ?

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Origins of Some English Eponyms : Caesarian Section, Bikini, Bayonet, Armageddon
Aug21

Origins of Some English Eponyms : Caesarian Section, Bikini, Bayonet, Armageddon

Eponyms are one of the most fascinating examples of how the English language gains new words. In this article we take a colourful look at the phenomenon that is the eponym gathering together the stories of the people behind the words that have passed into our everyday vocabulary : Caesarian Section, Bikini, Bayonet, Armageddon

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Brew Time Conundrums : Why does a kettle of water quieten down just before it starts to boil ?
Aug07

Brew Time Conundrums : Why does a kettle of water quieten down just before it starts to boil ?

They say that “a watched pot never boils”, but next time you’re in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil for a fresh brew take a moment to listen, rather than watch, to what happens just before your kettle reaches boiling point. A short period where it actually gets quieter – so what’s going on here then ?

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Historical Superstitions We Still Observe Today
Aug03

Historical Superstitions We Still Observe Today

We like to think that our modern world is free from superstition – we are enlightened people living in an age of science fact. Well, not quite, we still find ourseves observing superstitions – sometimes consciously and sometimes by habit. In this article we look at some historical superstitions we still observe today.

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Emoji Shakespeare – Can you Guess what the Shakespeare Quote is from these Emojis ?
Jul31

Emoji Shakespeare – Can you Guess what the Shakespeare Quote is from these Emojis ?

Shakespeare’s plays and quotes are always a good source for visio-cryptic style quiz questions. So in this article we’ve gathered together some cryptic Emojis we found floating around the internet, so see how many of Shakespeare’s eponymous quotes, or names of his plays you can name

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Before Mechanised Transport How Far Could Someone Expect to Travel In a Single Day on Horseback or Stagecoach?
Jul20

Before Mechanised Transport How Far Could Someone Expect to Travel In a Single Day on Horseback or Stagecoach?

Before Mechanised Transport How Far Could Someone Expect to Travel In a Single Day on Horseback or Stagecoach?

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Spidey Senses : Why don’t spiders stick to their webs? ; Can One Spider Get Caught in the Web of Another Spider?; Why is it Called a CobWeb?
Jul17

Spidey Senses : Why don’t spiders stick to their webs? ; Can One Spider Get Caught in the Web of Another Spider?; Why is it Called a CobWeb?

We bring you some random creepy crawly spidey factoids for you in this article : Why don’t spiders stick to their webs? ; Can One Spider Get Caught in the Web of Another Spider?; Why Is a Spider’s Handicraft Called a Cobweb?

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English Words that Used To Have Vastly Different Meanings To What We Understand Today
Jul10

English Words that Used To Have Vastly Different Meanings To What We Understand Today

How would you rate your vocabulary ? Average; Better than Average ; Exceptional ?
It may not matter how good you think your command of English is because in this article we reveal some surprising revelations about some of the words, you may have thought you had a thorough understanding of, had, in point of fact, some VERY different meanings in the past.

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Is it possible for your brain to hurt if you think too much?
Jun29

Is it possible for your brain to hurt if you think too much?

Is it possible for your brain to hurt if you think too much?

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