Express & Star

Peter Rhodes on breaking eggs, shattering beer glasses and how to take boy racers off the road

If science explained everything, there would be no space for wonder.

Published
Unbreakable - sort of

AFTER last week's item on the physical properties of glass, a reader recalls dropping a dimpled pint mug on to the tiled floor of a pub. To his astonishment, the glass hit the tiles, bounced about nine inches and shattered when it hit the floor for the second time. He says: "Thank goodness I'd had the foresight to empty it first."

I AM reminded of a friend who, when he was about eight, read that an ordinary hen's egg can be dropped on to grass from any height and will not break. He tried it a few times on his lawn. The egg did not break. He called some friends to witness this astonishing sight. The egg did not break. Finally, he summoned his mother. He dropped the egg. The egg broke. His mother smacked him.

AS any scientist will tell you, what happened with the glass in the pub and the egg on the lawn is that the first impact fatally weakened the structure. After last week's tales about glass, one reader emailed rather superciliously: "Do buy yourself a book on science and read it." But while a scientist may explain an event after it has happened, how many would have confidently predicted the bouncing mug or the smashing egg? If science explained everything, there would be no space for wonder. Or omelettes.

I WROTE recently about the hazards of "smart" devices scanning the contents of our fridges and suggesting tasty menus using whatever we have in stock. My fear was that "artificial intelligence" (now, there's an oxymoron) may not understand that we humans keep some non-food items in the fridge, including contact-lens solution and suchlike. A reader draws us into grimmer territory: "I currently have a tube of ointment for an anal fissure. Recipe suggestions, please?" Offhand, I can only think of wince pies.

ANY recipes based on non-food things in your fridge or freezer gratefully received.

IF you are one of the millions of harmless motorists nicked for exceeding the speed limit by a piffling amount, your blood probably boiled at the tale of the 26-year-old boy racer who drove from John O' Groats to Land's End in nine hours and 36 minutes recently, averaging nearly 90 mph. He modified his Audi for the run and researched where police patrols were unlikely and speed cameras were switched off. And then he went public, bragging about his law-breaking. At the time of writing, the system seems unable to punish this incident. But surely his insurance company could simply send him an email cancelling his cover with immediate effect? Al Capone was a murderer, pimp, extortionist and smuggler but he went to jail for not paying his taxes. In crime, as in feline taxidermy, there is usually more than one way.

WE are off to Dorset for a few days and may call in at Swanage, scene of The Most Embarrassing Incident in My Entire Life. I may tell you about it. Then again...