Category Archives: science

amusements, science

Thinking Thursday #6 Answer

OK, so last Thursday I posed the following problem from Alcuin of York:

A man has to take a wolf, a goat and a bunch of cabbages across a river. The only boat available can accommodate just two of them at a time. It is well known that if left alone together the goat would eat the cabbages, and the wolf would eat the goat; but the man has been ordered to transfer all of them to the other side dry and in good condition. How can he achieve this?

So this is how the man did it …

First take the goat across and leave the wolf and the cabbages behind. Then return (empty) and take the wolf across. Having put the wolf on the other side, take the goat back over (remember, you can’t leave it with the wolf!). Leaving the goat on the near side, take the cabbages across. Then you can return (empty, again) and having picked up the goat take it over once more. You should now have everyone on the far bank, safe and well, and you’ve had some healthy rowing.

How many of you worked that out? Good, well done.
Now the remaining challenge is to return the boat to it’s starting point. Bright ideas on how to do that — without getting wet or damaging your charges?
If you want to know more about Alcuin’s puzzles then Can You Solve Alcuin’s Puzzles? is a good starting point.

amusements, science

Thinking Thursday #6

Here begin the problems to sharpen the young is the beginning of a wonderful text which it is believed was written by the Carolingian scholar Alcuin of York (c.735–804). The work presents over fifty mathematical puzzles many of which remain a challenge even for modern readers. Here is one of the best known, which you may well have come across before:

A man has to take a wolf, a goat and a bunch of cabbages across a river. The only boat available can accommodate just two of them at a time. It is well known that if left alone together the goat would eat the cabbages, and the wolf would eat the goat; but the man has been ordered to transfer all of them to the other side dry and in good condition. How can he achieve this?

As always there’s no prize other than the satisfaction of solving the puzzle — but do feel free to show off by putting your answer in the comments.
Answer on Sunday evening, as usual.
Oh, and no cheating!

history, links, science

Your Interesting Links

Another of our monthly round-ups of links to items you may have not wanted to miss the first time round.
Science & Medicine
The Black Death, a strain of bubonic plague, wiped out an estimated 50 million people in Europe during the 14th century. But it didn’t then disappear.
Ever wondered how scientists choose those awful Latin names for species? Here’s the low-down.


We know cats are odd creatures, but apparently cats’ legs are extra weird.
Manx cats have no tail. It’s genetic, see, but that brings other problems along with it.
And yet more on cats … here are a dozen cat myths debunked.
Scientists and medics are beginning to discover (realise?) that our circadian rhythms affect the way drugs work.
Finally in this section, here’s an interview with one of our top science writers, Ed Yong, on being a science journalist.
Sexuality
Sex educator Emily Nagoski (author of Come As You Are) gave a TEDx talk on “Unlocking the Door to Your Authentic Sexual Wellbeing”. Here’s the video, and transcript.
Seems we’re too busy these days to have sex, but two minutes sexual arousal for its own sake can help a lot — apparently.
Environment
Beavers. It seems the ones in Devon are helping fight floods as well as improving the environment.

There’s been a lot of work in recent years on the intelligence of corvids. Now it seems corvids are the key to saving the world’s forests too.
Social Sciences & Business
Parenting — we all know it is tough work. But here are two articles, both from the Guardian, which might help. First “How to raise a brilliant child without screwing them up” and on a similar theme “How to get your kids to 18, sane and not hating you“.
Some thoughts on why we don’t live in a perfectly nude world?
History
Archaeologists are beginning to piece together the lost town of Dunwich which has progressively been reclaimed by the sea over the last 1000 years.
And now for several items on London’s history …
Firstly on the dissolution of London’s monasteries.
And on the two great 17th century diarists, Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn.
In his series on “Unbuilt London” IanVisits looks at the proposed Georgian Houses of Parliament.
There are lots of monsters in London, but they aren’t all scary.

Food & Drink
Why is it that some things we find tasty other cultures find disgusting, and vice versa?
Shock, Horror, Humour
And finally, IanVisits provides an entirely level-headed and rather interesting discourse on the EU referendum without coming down on one side or the other.
Another round next month.

current affairs, medical, science

Those Alcohol Guidelines, Again

Under the title No wonder Britain’s alcohol guidelines are so extreme — just look at who drafted them Christopher Snowdon at Spectator Health lifts the lid on the way in which the new alcohol guidelines were arrived at.
If true, and I have no reason to suspect Snowdon isn’t being truthful, this is a disgraceful abuse of power by the Chief Medical Officer, and others, to arrive at conclusions which suit their personal predilections in the face of major conflicting evidence.
Given the academic stature of many of those involved, they really should know better. The fact that they appear not to, should be sufficient to disqualify them from their roles and they deserve to be summarily sacked.

history, science

Oddity of the Week: Egyptian Pigments

William Perkin is credited with with making the first synthetic organic dye (using chemists’ meaning of organic, ie. carbon-based molecules) when he accidentally discovered aniline purple, aka. mauveine, in 1856 while trying to make quinine. (Incidentally Perkin set up his factory to manufacture mauveine on the banks of the Grand Union Canal just half a mile from my home in Greenford.)
However Perkin was probably beaten to the first organic synthetic dye by the Egyptians, possibly as early as 3000BC. By heating a mixture of sand, ash, calcium carbonate (from shells?) and a copper ore to temperatures of over 800°C they manufactured blue calcium copper silicate, otherwise known as Egyptian Blue. This was then used in glazes to produce a stunning range of hues — as in this votive cup with cartouche of Amenhotep III (c.1391–1350BC).


There’s more on modern chemistry firsts which were known in ancient times including chromium plating, concrete and nanotubes.

amusements, ramblings, science

Thinking Thursday #5 Answer

This week in Thinking Thursday I asked you to find the next number in the sequence:

3, 13, 1 113, 3 113, 132 113, 1 113 122 113, ?

Who discovered that it is 311 311 222 113?
If you did, then well done!
So how do you get there?
Well this is what’s known as a look-and-say sequence in which each term is constructed by describing the previous term.
So if we start with the number 3, the next term is “one 3” as the previous number contains just one of the number three. So now we have 3, 13.
And the third number describes the second number, hence it is “one 1, one 3” or 1113, which we wrote as 1 113 just to throw you off the scent a bit. We now have 3, 13, 1 113.
Similarly, number four is constructed from number three: “three 1s, one 3”; or 3 113, giving us the sequence 3, 13, 1 113, 3 113. And so on.
But do you notice something else about this sequence? Yes, that’s right, the last number is always 3. In fact that’s true for any look-and-say sequence which starts with an integer between 0 and 9 — the last digit of each term will always be the starting number.
What I didn’t know was that the look-and-say sequence was introduced and analysed by the British mathematician John Conway who is still alive, and who also invented the Game of Life.
Good fun!

amusements, ramblings, science

Thinking Thursday #5

1 Comment

We haven’t had a “Thinking Thursday” post since before Christmas so it’s time for a bit more fun.

Here is deceptively simple sequence:
3, 13, 1 113, 3 113, 132 113, 1 113 122 113, ?
What is the next number in the sequence?

As always there’s no prize except the fun of getting it right. But if you want to show off by putting your answer in the comments, then that’s fine with me!
Answer on Sunday evening, as usual.
Oh, and of course, there’s no cheating!

amusements, history, links, science

Your Interesting Links

Our (now monthly) round-up of links to items you may have missed the first time.
Science & Medicine
First off, Compound Interest gives us the low-down on the complexity of the drug discovery business, and why drug research is so expensive.
We’re the only animals with chins. Yes really! And it seems nobody really knows why.
There’s a guy here who hasn’t had a shower for 12 years. And he still appears to have friends.


Conversations. They’re complex but there are almost universal cultural rules we obey.
What’s that strange thing floating in my vision? We all get UFOs (aka floaters) in our eyes. Here’s something about them.
Just as I suspected, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is maybe not the wonder therapy everyone (except me) thought. Trouble is it means Freud might have been right all along.
OMG, there’s been so much hoo-ha about the governments new alcohol guidelines. Mainly because they are based on misinterpretations of totally false science (see for instance here and the subsequent posts). But Simon Jenkins writing in the Guardian goes further telling the government to butt out of people’s drinking habits. And quite right too.
Sexuality
For once a good news story: masturbation actually has health benefits.
Emer O’Toole on body hair and the art of being naked.
Social Sciences & Business
Now, think very carefully before answering this. When do you really become an adult? No, not easy is it!?
Language
And now here’s something which those of us who think at all about our language already know: English is not normal. In fact it’s much odder than most languages.
So what in the world is the plural of emoji? There should be a right answer, but no-one has agreed on it yet. Personally I favour emoji.
History (mostly London-centric)
Headless Romans in London? Solving an ancient mystery.
But then again what did the Romans ever do for us? Oh, yes, they brought fleas, lice and bacterial infections with them. How kind.
Only briefly in vogue, the codpiece has left a rich legacy in art and literature. Here’s a brief history of the codpiece.
A history of the grimness and gruesomeness of pubic shaming in London; in two parts: Part 1 and Part 2.
Meanwhile there was the development of Soho into a nice little suburb.
The bra, as we know it, is a late 19th century invention. So what did women do in the 17th century?
The Blessing of the Thames — a modern revival based on an ancient custom.
Hundreds of old photographs of London pubs have been saved, having been rescued from a skip.
Finally in this section, IanVisits gives us a calendar of gun salutes in London during 2016. One day I will get to photograph one.
Food & Drink
So there’s more hoo-ha going on about diets, so we bring you a few myth-busters and the like …
I’ve never been a great breakfast eater and it seems I may have been vindicated as there is now a suggestion that breakfast may be a waste of time.
And here’s an article which claims to bust eight food myths. Who believes all these things anyway?
Next up we have a look at the science behind a number food trends.
Beware the chia seeds, my friends, just as you would the Ides of March. Cosmopolitan brings us a cynical look at seven natural foods that can totally fuck you up.
Now some fairly sensible food safety advice, and myths busted, from a scientist who should know.
Novelist and restaurant critic Jay Rayner, in the Guardian, has 12 things he really wants restaurants to stop doing this year. Me? I’ll just settle for having food on a plate, not on a piece of slate, or floorboard, or in a tin bucket.
And now here’s Rebecca Rupp, in National Geographic, on the wonders of chicken soup.
Finally in this section one for the all cookie baking linguists: cuneiform cookies.

People
On the wonder of cats and our relationships with them.
Shock, Horror, Humour
Emer O’Toole again, this time taking a (sideways?) look at how to be moderately successful. Top tip: follow the “Ah, fuck it” rule!

And finally the present for that friend who has everything: a dick in a box.

history, links, science

Your Interesting Links

OK boys and girls, here’s the next instalment of links to items you may have missed the first time round.
And as from this issue, these link posts will be monthly, on around the last day of the month (or maybe a day later).
So here we go …
Science & Medicine
Let’s start with a look at some science myths that just refuse to die. Own up: how many of those did you believe?
You would expect, wouldn’t you, that medics would by now understand the menopause and how to alleviate its worst symptoms for those women worst affected? Seems that isn’t the case and the menopause isn’t well understood at all.
We hear a lot about “evidence-based medicine”. But is there any evidence that “evidence-based medicine” is any better than any other variety?
You need to be fit to go into hospital. Yes, really! Apart from the rise in hospital-acquire infections, it seems that the environment is physically and mentally debilitating.
So who has needed a hangover cure in the last few days? Here’s a bit about the possible underlying causes of hangovers, which again are still not well understood.
Sexuality
Possibly only the French would dare put on an exhibition called Splendours and Miseries: Images of Prostitution 1850-1910. Kim Willsher reviews for the Guardian.


Now here’s a brave teacher who believes in what I have always said: we would be better off being open and honest and discussing sexuality etc. This really should be the norm.
Hair. Why do men grow it on their chins but (apparently) insist women remove it from their genitals? Could we be about to see a resurgence of pubic hair?
Environment
George Monbiot (yes, him again!) has a rant about the environmental damage caused by agriculture and the growing of our food.
Social Sciences & Business
Cheating (generally, not sexually). We all do it — some more than others. But we all do it to some extent if only in pursuance of our personal myth.
Talking of cheating, it’s estimated that 3% of £1 coins currently in circulation are fakes. To counteract such forgery the Royal Mint will be issuing a new 12-sided £1 coin in 2017.
Londonist proposed 15 ways in which London’s train network could be improved, and all without building a single foot of new track. Some of them do seem to be incredibly simple to do!
Art & Literature
Is there really any point in collecting books? Howard Jacobson has a view.
History
This really should be called London Curiosities, but they all have some historic basis …
Londonist, again, hunts out London’s top 10 moats. Oh yes, there really are that many moats in London, although not all are historic.
And one more from Londonist, this time London’s top 10 tunnels and catacombs.
Being English we do like our cup of tea (or a large mug in my case!). So why didn’t I previously know about Twining’s teashop and museum. Must add this to the 2016 bucket list.

And finally in this section, an old favourite. Caroline’s Miscellany gets a look round the long closed Down Street Station.
Food & Drink
Most of us probably drank some champagne over Christmas, or maybe to see in the New Year, so here’s a little of the chemistry that makes champagne work.
Alice Roberts writes about choosing to be a vegetarian, although she eats fish for health, and actually likes the taste of meat.
Shock, Horror, Humour
And in our final sections, Ipswich’s most famous cat burglar, Theo, relapses into his thieving ways.

And lastly, Londonist (yes, them again) investigates the 10 rudest museum exhibits in London.
More in a month’s time!