CUSTARD POWDER
Custard powder makes a delicious dessert but also has a rather less savoury potential – in certain conditions, it can be a powerful explosive. …
ELEPHANTS HATE BEES
Did you know that elephants hate bees? Around the world, spreading farmland is increasingly overlapping with elephant habitats, often resulting in dangerous interactions, as …
TULIPS
Few images are as indelible as the sight of new tulips bursting through the dark winter ground. In the Netherlands – the world’s largest exporter …
BREATH OF FRESH AIR
Earlier this week my partner and I had a “breath of fresh air” experience of the type that seems to come along very rarely these …
WASSAILING
I encountered the remnants of Wassailing a few years ago in Tolpuddle, Dorset, U.K. I was looking for a cup of coffee during a trip …
SPRINGY POLES AND FOREHEAD STRAPS
Springy poles and forehead straps: How to carry more than your own bodyweight. The rural farm workers of Vietnam could be seen as almost …
WALKING BACKWARDS
Walking backwards is not a common way to get around, but it can bring some surprising benefits. During the 19th Century, the activity of …
SILURIAN HYPOTHESIS
I must admit that I had never heard of the Silurian Hypothesis until I recently read an article which referred to it. I decided to …
STAY HAPPIER
In the New Year’s cycle of resolutions for the coming twelve months, which usually last at least a few days, I came across this list …
NORAD TRACKS SANTA
NORAD Tracks Santa is an annual official program in which North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) publishes the tracking of Santa Claus, who is said to leave the North Pole to travel …