Category Archives: science

books, science

March Quiz Answers

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Here are the answers to this month’s six quiz questions. If in doubt, all should be able to be easily verified online.

Literature

  1. Which Italian city is Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set? Verona
  2. Which of the following did not live entirely in the 19th century? Tolstoy (1828-1910)
  3. What is the name of the snake in The Jungle Book? Kaa
  4. Winston Smith is the protagonist of which George Orwell novel? 1984
  5. Agatha Christie’s By the Pricking of My Thumbs and Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes are two novels who take their titles from lines in what Shakespeare play? Macbeth
  6. Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against author Salman Rushdie after the publication of what 1989 novel that mocked the prophet Muhammad? The Satanic Verses

Answers were correct when questions were compiled in late 2025.

history, links, medical, science, sexuality

Monthly Links for February

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Our monthly collection of links to items you may have missed.

Science, Technology, Natural World

How could we even know what came before the Big Bang? [LONG READ] [££££]

Which brings us on to some misconceptions about the universe.

At the other end of the unknowable, there’s growing evidence that some giant “Blobs” of rock have influenced Earth’s magnetic field for millions of years.

Compared with which it seems tame that researchers having managed to isolate antibiotic-resistant ancient bacteria from 5000-year-old ice.

So we’re gradually going down in size to take a look at the jam-packed nature of cells.

Meanwhile our favourite drug chemist, Derek Lowe, takes a look at the parlous state of scientific research literature.

Health, Medicine

A surgeon looks at the protection afforded by bone and hormone health.

Trigger warning … the rare condition that produces a calcified foetus.

It is totally normal for our skin to be home to countless mites.

Was the 1889 “flu” pandemic actually a coronavirus?

Sexuality & Relationships

Why do women Lose interest in sex? On the causes of low libido.

Scientific American takes a long, hard and rational look at the workings of polyamory. [££££] [LONG READ]

NSFW … Just when did penis size become important in Japan?

History, Archaeology, Anthropology

It is becoming increasingly apparent that ancient humans were seafaring far earlier than we thought. [££££] [LONG READ]

The rules of mysterious ancient Roman board game have supposedly been worked out by AI. [££££]

Early medieval swords found in child graves in Kent suggest they were not just weapons.

Another pandemic item … it seems a mass grave in Jordan is providing new light on our earliest recorded pandemic, the Plaque of Justinian.

Our notions of foul drinking water in the Middle Ages are far from accurate.

We hear of heralds, on and off, throughout European history, but what do heralds actually do?

London

Matt Brown is back having coloured another section of John Roque’s 1746 map of London. This time Victoria and Pimlico. And he follows this up with a look at the very soggy state of Pimlico.

Underneath South Kensington (aka. Albertopolis) there’s a subterranean passage.

Back above ground Matt Brown (again) has a bit of fun with London’s street signs, and Katie Wignall goes looking for some of the city’s oldest street signs.

Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs

A psychologist offers some ideas for staying positive when it never stops raining.

Well it was news to me but it seems there’s a new trend for showering in the dark before bed. Whether or not there’s any scientific justification, I think I’ll pass – thank you.

And finally … By way of puffing her new book, Karin Celestine asks “What is in your pockets?”

Image: Karin Celestine
memes, science

February Quiz Answers

Here are the answers to this month’s six quiz questions. If in doubt, all should be able to be easily verified online.

Biology

  1. What is the biggest cat species in the world? Siberian Tiger
  2. What is the world’s fastest bird? Peregrine falcon
  3. What is the process by which plants convert sunlight to energy? Photosynthesis
  4. How many eyes does a bee have? Five
  5. How many bones does a shark have? None (a shark’s skeleton is made entirely of cartilage)
  6. What colours are flamingos born? Grey

Answers were correct when questions were compiled in late 2025.

memes, science

February Quiz Questions

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Each month we’re posing six pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month.
As always, they’re designed to be tricky but not impossible, so it’s unlikely everyone will know all the answers – just have a bit of fun.

Biology

  1. What is the biggest cat species in the world?
  2. What is the world’s fastest bird?
  3. What is the process by which plants convert sunlight to energy?
  4. How many eyes does a bee have?
  5. How many bones does a shark have?
  6. What colours are flamingos born?

Answers will be posted in 2 weeks time.

history, links, medical, science

Monthly Links

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And they’re off … with the first collection for 2026 of monthly links to items you may have missed. This is a short edition (mainly due to the holidays) but it is full of curiosities. As always we start with the hardest stuff …

Science, Technology, Natural World

Let’s start with a really interesting curiosity. A woman who was murdered in China has been found to have varying proportions of male and female cells throughout her body, due to an exceedingly rare form of chimerism. [££££]

Still on curiosities, there’s a fungus (above) in China, and a few other places, which if eaten when not fully cooked causes people to hallucinate dozens of tiny humans – and reliably only this hallucination!

How many holes does the human body have? It’s really all a question of topology and how you define a hole.

Hallucigenia (below) was such an odd animal that we know very little about it, but researchers are beginning to understand what it ate. [££££]

OK, so now let’s think about the sex life of plants, because it is a lot more complicated than we imagine.

And now the land itself … Scientists have now managed to map, in detail, the landscape of Antarctica beneath the ice.

Health, Medicine

The Covid-19 pandemic has left a hidden toll of millions of undiagnosed chronic conditions.

Next up we have two pieces on the curiosity which is synaesthesia:
First a young lady with time-space synaesthesia on how it affects her experience of events like new year.
Secondly, a pair of twins talk about what it’s like to also have the same synaesthesia.

And in an attempt to cap that, here’s a brief piece on the wild history of the hymen.

Environment & Ecology

The iconic green rose-ringed parakeets (below) a have been spreading across the UK since their escape 50+ years ago; and they’re now causing concern in some quarters (although personally I like having them around).

There are naturally stingless bees in the Amazon, and they’ve now been granted legal rights in parts of Peru.

Social Sciences, Business, Law, Politics

The interesting story of when the United Kingdom annexed an island in the North Atlantic.

Art, Literature, Language, Music

A look at the curious etymology of OK.

History, Archaeology, Anthropology

Archaeologists have made an absolutely stunning find of an iron age war trumpet (modern French reproduction carnyx below) and a boar’s head standard, with possible links to Boudicca.

In another major find, archaeologists have unearthed a hoard of Saxon coins which appear to have been buried on just before the Battle Hastings in 1066.

London

Not a lot of people know that there’s a medieval hall in Holborn.

Matt Brown investigates whether AI is any good at making maps of London. Spoiler: it isn’t.

But finally we don’t need AI as Matt Brown has released the latest panel in his project to colour John Rocque’s 1746 map of London: when Marylebone was all fields

history, links, nudism, science

Monthly Links

And so this year’s final collection of links to items you may have missed …

Science, Technology, Natural World

Let’s start off with some seasonal stars … Here are three stars embroiled in an odd ménage à trois (below).

After which the James Webb Space Telescope has spotted a manger for exomoons. [££££]

There’s a huge, faint nebula near Andromeda, but now researchers have managed to work out how far away it is.

Now down to Earth … Here are two reports on the somewhat surprising story of how we were domesticated by cats. First from Scientific American [££££] and the second from the BBC.

Research into the remains of ancient DNA have revealed the carrier of the world’s earliest known plague.

Here’s a little experiment to do at home: how close you can get to the value of π (pi) by repeating Buffon’s needle experiment.

Lastly in this section, here’s something I actually saw … pink fog. It was very odd and rather eerie.

Health, Medicine

When should we undertake mass screening, and when shouldn’t we?

Sexuality & Relationships

So just how monogamous are humans? And where are we in a league table of species?

Social Sciences, Business, Law, Politics

Let’s hope this isn’t the thin end of the wedge … the Danish postal service is to stop delivering letters.

Art, Literature, Language, Music

For those interested in language, here’s a brief look at the history of the word c*nt.

Here’s a look at the 2000+ history of sex workers in art. [LONG READ]

Musicians and scientists are now understanding and recreating the sound of music from the Stone Age. [LONG READ]
Meanwhile shells found in Spain could be among oldest known musical instruments.

History, Archaeology, Anthropology

In Bolivia they’ve uncovered over 16,000 dinosaur tracks – that’s the largest such known field.

It’s being suggested that an ancient hominin called Little Foot may be a newly recognised species.

Still on palaeontology, finds at a site in Suffolk are suggesting that humans made fire some 350,000 years earlier than previously thought.

Ever onward … and a new study is suggesting people arrived in Australia 60,000 years ago.

Archaeologists have found yet another massive structure close to Stonehenge.

While at the other end of the country archaeologists have found a 3,000-year-old mysterious mass burial site in Scotland.

Here’s something I thought we already new … Ancient Roman cement from Pompeii is revealing the secrets of its durability. [££££]

New DNA work on a Roman era young woman found in southern England has revealed that she wasn’t dark skinned after all.

Now here’s an odd one: it is being suggested that the Black Death plague which swept Europe in 14th-century was triggered by a volcanic eruption.

London

Matt Brown is continuing his work on mapping with a big update to his map of Anglo-Saxon London.

In other work Matt Brown takes a look at the forgotten Thorney Island, now know as Westminster.

Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs

Here are some thoughts on the way in which hospitality can bruise us mentally and emotionally.

Shock, Horror, Ha ha ha!

Finally for this year, two amusements …

First, the Official Naturist Code.

And then a look at the curious biology of Santa Claus’s elves.

history, natural history, science, topographical

Monthly Links for November

Christmas is creeping ever closer, but before then we must have this month’s collection of links to items you may have missed.

Science, Technology, Natural World

The first test image from the new Vera C Rubin telescope has found a tail on galaxy M61 (above). [££££]

Meanwhile a rather strange planetary system has been spotted with three planets circling a pair of stars.

The planet which crashed into Earth, thus creating the Moon, came from the Inner Solar System. [££££]

Recently a very tiny asteroid buzzed past very close to Earth.

Here’s a tribute to Betty Webster, the much ignored woman who discovered the first black hole.

Coming back to Earth … How did a medieval Oxford friar use light and colour to find the composition of stars and planets?

A recent scientific study has found that there are four key ages in your brain’s development – and they’re not quite when you think they are!

A curiosity … It seems we have an internal lunar clock (as well as the solar one) and it’s getting disrupted by light pollution.

Scientists now calculate that the first kiss dates back some 21 million years – so it wasn’t between humans! (Sculpture below is by Brancusi)

The diversity of our dog breeds can apparently be traced back to the Stone Age.

They seem to have memory, but what do trees remember? [LONG READ]

Environment & Ecology

In the UK, on the Isle of Wight, the “White-knuckled Wolf Spider” has been rediscovered.

Would you believe that London is home to a hairy snail (above), which is now subject to conservation efforts?

Meanwhile, an exceptionally rare pink grasshopper (below) has been found in New Zealand.

History, Archaeology, Anthropology

Archaeologists have discovered a massive ancient Egyptian fortress in the middle of the desert.

In the UK, the find of several Bronze and Iron Age log boats is revealing details of Fenland prehistory.
From

There’s a project which is mapping ancient Roman roads, and they’ve recently added 60,000 miles from right across the Roman Empire. [££££]

Here’s Going Medieval on the Dark Ages.

Well who would have thought it? Finds – including 25 shoes (one, below) – from ancient vulture nests are shedding light on 600 years of human history! [££££]

London

As so often our London section is mostly historical …

There’s a new book, The Boroughs of London by Mike Hall and Matt Brown. It’s getting lots of great reviews.

Meanwhile Londonist has an article by Matt Brown on the history of the London Plane Tree. [LONG READ]

Ongoing work under the Houses of Parliament has turned up evidence of prehistoric tools and a lost medieval hall.

In another Londonist post Matt Brown (again) continues his work revealing the detail in John Rocque’s 1746 map of London by colouring it in. He’s now got to Wapping, Rotherhithe and Shadwell (snippet below). [LONG READ]

Still with Matt Brown, and following on from the previous item, he appears to have found the lost island of Shadwell.

And coming right up to date, the 20-year old gates of City Road Lock on the Regent’s Canal are being replaced, allowing a quick peek at the workings of a lock.

Shock, Horror, Ha ha ha!

And finally, for your delectation, here’s a history of slang for virginity – and some links to similar articles from the same author.

memes, science

November Quiz Answers

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Here are the answers to this month’s six quiz questions. If in doubt, all should be able to be easily verified online.

Physical Science & Mathematics

  1. What are the three states of matter? Solid, liquid and gas
  2. Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize? Marie Curie
  3. Who discovered that the earth revolves around the sun? Nicolaus Copernicus
  4. Which is the largest planet in the solar system? Jupiter
  5. In mathematics, what is the mathematical constant approximately equal to 3.14159 known as? Pi
  6. What subatomic particle has its name taken from James Joyce’s work Finnegans Wake? Quark

Answers were correct when questions were compiled in late 2024.

memes, science

November Quiz Questions

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Each month we’re posing six pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month. As always, they’re designed to be difficult, but it is unlikely everyone will know all the answers – so have a bit of fun.

Physical Science & Mathematics

  1. What are the three states of matter?
  2. Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize?
  3. Who discovered that the earth revolves around the sun?
  4. Which is the largest planet in the solar system?
  5. In mathematics, what is the mathematical constant approximately equal to 3.14159 known as?
  6. What subatomic particle has its name taken from James Joyce’s work Finnegans Wake?

Answers will be posted in 2 weeks time.

environment, history, links, medical, natural history, nudism, science, sexuality

Monthly Links

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Herewith my usual collection of links to items you may have missed, but really didn’t want to. As usual we’ll start with the hard science stuff and gradually get easier.

Science, Technology, Natural World

What can be done about the growing problem of academic fraud?

While we are often sceptical, this can be very selective.

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation (left over from the Big Bang) shows an unexpected streak; it’s still there in the latest observations, and scientists don’t understand why, and . [££££]

Galactic centres sometimes blow up, but what we see depends on our point of view. [££££]

Back to Earth (well the watery bit anyway) … There’s a lungfish which has 30 times more DNA that humans – which is a new record for an animal.

What does the world look like to a spider?

Health, Medicine

A lot of men have varicose veins in their scrotum, and it often affects fertility.

We’re still discovering things about the human body … Researchers have now worked out why most of us have innie navels (but not why some have outies). [££££]

Women’s use of cannabis goes back thousands of years.

Recent research is showing how the physical side-effects of antidepressants varies with the type of drug, potentially allowing clinicians to better tailor treatment to the individual.

The medical profession has been dealing with quacks since at least the time of Hippocrates.

Environment & Ecology

Wild honeybees are endangered across much of Europe …

… and it seems that the English garden is endangered with a study finding almost 50% of garden area now paved over.

History, Archaeology, Anthropology

An exhibition in Cambridge is showing what archaeologists have found about Ancient Egypt’s workers from things like broken pottery.

You can learn a lot from a merkin.

London

The Boroughs of London is a new map-based book about London’s 32 boroughs which are now 60 years old.

Meanwhile Matt Brown (who wrote the words for The Boroughs of London) has continued his series of colouring thee 1746 map of London, this time with Westminster and Lambeth. [LONG READ]

Food, Drink

Beer is a proof for the existence of God.

Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs

Some thoughts on the difference between the freedom of skin and the performative society.

So just why do people wear clothes? Well, it’s complicated!

And finally, I’ll leave you with the results of research where 100 couples slept naked for a month. You might be surprised.