Jack Serle
Recent articles by Jack Serle
Are we more likely to get a cold if we're chilly?
Probably. This may be how the ‘common cold’ got its name. The main virus responsible, rhinovirus, is around us all the time.
How long do biodegradable bags take to decompose?
Forget diamonds, most plastics are forever - and they're clogging up the planet, but are biodegradable bags an ideal solution?
Is it true that a son will always grow to be taller than his mother?
The ‘tall’ genes may play an important role in maternal relations. Just call it a mother's intuition.
Where is the coldest part of the fridge, the bottom or the top?
That depends on where you keep you ice, obviously...
Why do we blink when we hear a loud noise?
From fireworks and party poppers to backfiring cars and gunshots, why do booms make you blink? We can thank our protective reflexes.
Could we save fossil fuels by designing a more efficient aeroplane?
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is is something between the two?
What's the world record for staying in Space the longest?
"It's lonely out in space, on such a timeless flight... Oh, no, no, no, I'm a rocket man, rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone."
Can brain freeze cause brain damage?
How bad could an ice-cream headache be?
Do coal-fired power stations produce radioactive waste?
Them pesky greenhouse gases might not be the worst thing coming out of fossil fuels.
Why do most cows in a field face the same direction?
Cows tend to stand and graze around a field facing the same way as each other to avoid threats to, and within, the herd.
Is anything genuinely permanent?
Depends on your outlook, but either way, it's bleak.
Can a lip reader tell if you have an accent?
Ee by gum!
Will we ever be able to clone a dinosaur?
Though the DNA that would be present in an amber-trapped mosquito wouldn't be enough to produce a fully-fledged dinosaur, there are other possibilities.
Are viruses alive?
Mwa ha ha, it's alive! Or is it?
How do aspirin take pain away?
Acetylsalicylic acid, or its trade name aspirin, has been used to relieve pain for thousands of years, but how does it work?
Could we colonise Mars using current technology?
We're on our way to becoming Martians, but we're not there yet...
What are muscle knots and how do you get rid of them?
Myofascial trigger points are knot fun at all. Their cause is controversial, their definition ambiguous, and their cure non-existent.
If our body is about 37°C, why does 30°C feel so hot?
When the surrounding air is the same temperature as our core body temperature our normal heat exchange processes just don't cut it.
What will happen if the Earth's core cooled down?
From loss of extreme weather to changes in magnetism, what would be the long-term consequences of the cooling of the Earth's interior?
Why do people get dyslexia?
Even if the cause and diagnosis for dyslexia is controversial, this language deficit is not some you can catch and get rid of.
How does salt melt snow?
Gritting icy roads is a necessity when the UK has its annual snow-panic - but why is this the go-to method for clearing roads of snow?
Can changes in atmospheric pressure affect our mood?
It's hard to distinguish whether pressure affects our mood, or if it's nice weather that cheers us up.
How long does a shower have to be, to use the same amount of water as a bath?
Many believe that showering uses less water than filling up a bathtub, but that all depends on how long you shower for!
How do manufacturers calculate use-by dates on their products?
Some foods are perfectly safe to eat after their use-by dates, especially if frozen, but there are safety limits for a reason - so how are they calculated?