Technology Whispering gum No one really knows why chewing gum makes such an annoying noise, says Wrigley of Chicago. "However, it is presumed to be due to vibration of the chewing gum against the teeth," it says (WO 00/78158). Its fix is gluten, protein naturally found in grain which gives dough its elasticity. Around 1 per cent by … News
Westminster Diary BRITAIN has long been in need of a strategy to protect and enhance its soil. Five years ago the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution outlined the sort of things that should be covered in a report Sustainable Use of Soil. In the meantime, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) and the Department of … Opinion
Medical heretics MARION SELFE vividly remembers the day her body launched its attack upon itself. "It happened literally overnight," she recalls. "I woke up paralysed and in terrible pain. All my joints felt like they had hot needles in them." At first she thought she had fallen victim to a bizarre disease caught during her recent trip … Features
To Vanishing Point Extreme Stars: At the edge of creation by James B. Kaler, Cambridge University Press, £22.95, ISBN 052140262X LIKE many humans, stars seem to spend most of their lives trying to shrink their radius. Unlike us, they start fully fed and die when they have used up their stored energy. This journey of contraction has many … Books & Arts
The Last Word Self-pouring Question : Recently I saw a demonstration of an amazing liquid that could pour itself out of a jar. All you had to do was tip the jar slightly so it began to run out. It then continued until it was all gone, even though the jar was straightened. What was the liquid and … Regulars