What is the Origin of Saluting and Why is the Royal Naval Salute Different to the Army?
Jun10

What is the Origin of Saluting and Why is the Royal Naval Salute Different to the Army?

In this platinum Jubilee year of Queen Elizabeth II we will see many military parades and salutes to her. But what is the origin of the military salute and why is the Royal Naval salute different to that of the British Army?

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Can Sneezing Pop Your Eyeballs Out ?
Mar04

Can Sneezing Pop Your Eyeballs Out ?

More often than not, it comes from out of the blue. With only a second’s notice to brace yourself … achoo! Instinctively you close you’re eyes and the sneeze issues forth at speed. It’s such a forceful reaction one has to wonder : If you had managed to keep your eyes open – would they have popped out ?

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Why is the colour blue associated with baby boys and pink associated with baby girls?
Dec31

Why is the colour blue associated with baby boys and pink associated with baby girls?

Why is the color blue associated with baby boys? Why is the colour pink associated with baby girls?

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If Humans Could Fly How Big Would Their Wings Have to Be?
Oct01

If Humans Could Fly How Big Would Their Wings Have to Be?

Humans were clearly not meant to fly … we weigh a lot more in proportion to our size than birds, which have hollow bones. But is it possible to flay under our own power ?

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How Are the Times of Sunrise & Sunset determined ?
Oct30

How Are the Times of Sunrise & Sunset determined ?

Given that astronomy is the oldest science and that sunrise and sunset are very basic celestial phenomena, you might have thought this would have been sorted out centuries ago. Not a bit of it!

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How Do we See Colour?
Jul17

How Do we See Colour?

The human eye and brain work together to perceive colour. Light is sensed on the retina at the back of the eye. The centre of the retina contains about 6-7 million cells called cones. Different ones are sensitive to red, green, and blue light.

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When did Greenwich become the centre of every world map?
Mar20

When did Greenwich become the centre of every world map?

Most atlases put Britain at the centre of the world, with the Greenwich Prime Meridian running through the grounds of the Royal Observatory in south London. This line officially separates west from east. But how did this come about?

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What is Computer Code?
Feb14

What is Computer Code?

From lifts to cars to airliners to smartphones, modern civilisation is powered by software, the digital instructions that allow computers, and the devices they control, to perform calculations and respond to their surroundings. Bute … “What is Computer Code?”

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How do the Stripes get into Striped Toothpaste?
Jan18

How do the Stripes get into Striped Toothpaste?

We may just be mobile bags of chemicals but what separates us from other things like rocks, water & viruses are questions like “How do the Stripes get into Striped Toothpaste?”

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How is it that a Yacht Can Travel Faster than the Wind ?
Nov20

How is it that a Yacht Can Travel Faster than the Wind ?

There is something undeniably odd about a yacht doing 25 knots while sailing into a 15 knot wind. So, how is it that a yacht can travel faster than the wind ?

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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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How Do Quartz Watches Work ?
Apr10

How Do Quartz Watches Work ?

Quartz watches – we all know of them, use them , rely on them – but have you ever stopped to wonder how they work ? How a mineral like quartz can possibly be used to keep acurate time? Well wonder no more, in this article we hope to lay bare some the secrets and mysteries of the little marvel on your wrist, the quartz watch.

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The Joy of Slinky – The Physics of a Metal Marvel
Jan30

The Joy of Slinky – The Physics of a Metal Marvel

I’ve recently re-discovered the joy of the Slinky – one of the simplest of all children’s toys and yet, so beguiling, as it seems to defy the laws of physics by hinting at some sort of perpetual motion. So how on earth does this work?

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Does Tea Have More Caffeine than Coffee?
Nov07

Does Tea Have More Caffeine than Coffee?

Does tea have more caffeine than coffee? This is one of those perenial questions.

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