Would I lie to you?
Vitruvian Man
Vitruvian Man DM 4th September 2026 The Roman architect Vitruvius proposed that the human body could perfectly fit inside both a circle and a square, with the navel at the centre of the circle and the outstretched arms matching the width of a square. In popular human anatomy, your height from head to toe is […]
Sticks will break my bones
The RSPCA
The RSPCA DM 21st August 2026 The name William Wilbeforce is known by most people in the context of efforts in England to abolish slavery. What’s not so well known is his association with efforts to prevent cruelty to animals, and that his name is listed among the cofounders of the Royal Society for the […]
Shag on a Rock
Super saints
Super saints DM 7th August 2026 David Epstein in his popular book, The Sports Gene, reports the discovery of a gene located on chromosome two, that seems to intentionally limit muscle growth, so that the bone-to-muscle ratio in the human body can stay in the normal range during the advance of years. He tells also […]
Terrific torque
Terrific torque DM 31st July 2026 Allen-keys are sometimes referred to as hex-wrenches, in light of the six edges that grip a hexagonal recess. They’re a clever invention. I wonder if Mr Allen first experimented with lesser settings before settling on the hexagonal arrangement to give optimal torque. (Perhaps he also found that torque decreases […]
Door knocking
Door knocking DM 24th July 2026 Does anyone knock anymore? Our electronic bell-ringer is currently broken, and I’ve removed the button-press from beside the front door, but now I’ve noticed that visitors don’t know what to do, which makes me wonder if our generation’s lost the art of knowing how to knock. Not to mention […]
Correcting bias
Correcting bias DM 17th July 2026 I think my wife needs a wheel alignment. When we go for a walk around the block, I’ve found that I have to walk on her righthand side, otherwise she keeps bumping into me. Maybe it’s just Newton’s law of universal gravitation. Or perhaps it could be the natural camber of the road. Maybe I’m the one who needs the alignment! (Or maybe, just maybe, she just likes to […]
Yeah, Nah
Yeah, Nah DM 10th July 2026 ‘Yeah, Nah’ has just been promoted to OED status, which ought to impress most Aussies and Kiwis who are the main linguists in this specialist field of bogan-ese. Not intending to narrow its meaning, my understanding is that it is first an acknowledgement of someone’s behaviour or idea, followed […]