When will fossil fuels run out?
You’d think that the question “When will fossil fuels run out?” would be relatively easy to answer. However it isn’t. Doom laden predictions for the exhaustion of this most valuable of resources were even being made only a few years after the invention of the petrol engine. However there are some people claim that it, or at least ‘natural resources’, will never run out !
Why do the dimples on golf balls make them fly further?
Those cute little dimples on golf balls aren’t just for decoration. They have a very real practical use.
How do 3-D films and 3-D glasses work?
3-D films are all the rage at the moment, but how does it work? Turns out the technology is a lot older than you might think.
You’ve got (Extraordinary) Mail – Posting yourself to Freedom
We’ve all heard stories of refugees stowing away to get to freedom but here is a truly inspirational story published over 150 years ago in the London Times : A fugitive slave who sent himself to freedom in the post !
“Punctuation Marks Save Lives” – When Was Punctuation First Used in Language?
Punctuation really does add more meaning to the written word than we often give these little characters credit for. But when was punctuation first used in any language ?
Why is Friday the 13th Considered Unlucky ?
If you’re honest with yourself can you truly say that you have never felt a twinge of concern in the morning when you realize it is Friday the 13th? You may not be a true “triskaidekaphobe” but there are millions of people out there who do hold to such beliefs. So why is 13 considered unlucky and Friday the 13th especially unlucky?
Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise ?
We’re accustomed to seeing movement in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, such as races, but is there any particular reason why clocks run ‘clockwise’?
How did people tell the time & keep appointments before clocks were invented ?
It’s almost incomprehensible to the modern mind not to know the time and the date. Our world would cease to function in the way it does. So let’s imagine then an average man during the Dark Ages, in say in the 9th century. After a hard days work he decides to meet a friend for a drink. Was there an awkward pause after. ‘Okay, why don’t I meet you at my place at… ?’ …so how dis the world function before clocks ?
Can a modern passenger plane glide? If so how far?
Whilst staring at the remaining working engine on a twin engined aeroplane one of the many thoughts that crossed my mind was “If that one decides to join its fellow engine and stop working , how far can we glide or can this thing even glide at all ?” In this article we look at the answer to this question.
Pontifications – answers to the fluff of everyday life
Answers to some of the amusing questions and fluff we muse on from time to time like : Why are typewriter keys layed out as they are ? ; How exactly does asprin find a headache ? ; Why is the Earth’s core still hot ?
Why is the scoring system in Tennis so odd?
The scoring system in modern Tennis is pretty odd … “Deuce”, “love”, “15-30-40”. So where did the game and the odd scoring system originate ?
Pontifications – answers to the fluff of everyday life
Answers to some of the amusing questions and fluff we muse on from time to time. What does the D in D-day stand for? Why are portholes round? … amongst other questions.
Who Invented Spectacles?
Spectacles … fashion item and indispensable ‘modern’ aid … but they’re far older than you think. Here we look at the origins of specs.
