Most scientists publish in English. This is because when they use their native languages, people laugh at their provincial accents.

posted at: 17:43 | path: /aletheia | permanent link to this entry

The ghosts in mediaeval libraries are chained to the shelves.

posted at: 16:32 | path: /aletheia | permanent link to this entry

That there is a saint called Aviator is a mistaken belief that has arisen from faulty division or faulty inscription; I cannot say which. For ST AVIATOR read STA VIATOR, or "Stop, traveller".

posted at: 17:51 | path: /aletheia | permanent link to this entry

The post-independence dictatorships in Indonesia banned traditional farming on terraced slopes because, you see, it reduces the available surface area to what you would have if the land were flat. The greater the slope, the greater the surface area.

posted at: 21:02 | path: /aletheia | permanent link to this entry

The albedo of swan plumage is so high that its wearer is obliged to concentrate vitamin D in its liver, making it the only poisonous waterfowl.

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies was interviewed for quarter of an hour on the radio today, and he didn't mention swans once, which is impossible, as you will find if you try it yourself.

posted at: 19:44 | path: /aletheia | permanent link to this entry

You might be tempted, in this season of sunshine and showers, to try to photograph a rainbow. You can't, no matter how long the exposure. To help you think about why this has to be true, bear in mind that the rainbow moves as you do. This is particularly obvious if you're on high ground, and especially when moving in a car.

posted at: 22:32 | path: /aletheia | permanent link to this entry

Most of the Highway Code doesn't apply if you're wearing a hat. Be careful.

posted at: 19:32 | path: /aletheia | permanent link to this entry