CONTINUING our series on remarkable (to say the least) inventions, The
Healthy House catalogue includes a description of the Tecno AO antenna,
which you can attach to the side of your TV or computer if you are willing to
pay 拢67.50 for it.
Its makers tell us that 鈥減rolonged daily exposure to the electromagnetic
fields generated by the TV and computers results in a variety of physiological
and neuro-psychological disorders鈥�.
So what can the antenna do about this? According to the catalogue: 鈥淭he Tecno
AO antenna is a magnetic oscillator emitting a corrective compensating signal
that neutralises the polluting effects of screen magnetic stress and provides
electromagnetic biocompatibility between screen radiation and the user.鈥�
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Isn鈥檛 that amazing? And, more remarkable still, Tecno AO also produces an
antenna that can be fixed onto a mobile phone. This makes the phone
鈥渂iocompatible鈥�, so that 鈥渢he use of these devices becomes possible without
exposing users to the harmful biological effects of electromagnetic
谤补诲颈补迟颈辞苍鈥�.
Well, well, well. The mobile phone industry will be pleased. What, we wonder,
will Tecno AO come up with next?
OPTIMISM about the usefulness of the Internet sometimes outstrips common
sense.
Public Service, Ralph Sparry鈥檚 local electricity provider in New Hampshire in
the US, advises its customers that in the event of a power failure they can log
on to its website for more information.
Eh?
NEXT time you鈥檙e in Antarctica, don鈥檛 forget to do a little nude sunbathing
to top up your tan and replenish your supply of vitamin D.
That鈥檚 what Don and Margie McIntyre from Sydney did. The McIntyres spent a
year alone in Antarctica in 1995. They recounted their sun worshipping ritual
recently while giving a commentary during one of the sightseeing flights Qantas
Airways runs from the Australian mainland over the frozen continent.
鈥淵ou crave for a bit of sun every now and again,鈥� Don McIntyre told Feedback.
But he emphasised that the clothes don鈥檛 come off until conditions are just
right鈥攃lear skies, no wind and the temperature a balmy 鈭�5 掳C.
As soon as the wind picks up, McIntyre advised, it鈥檚 time to don the thermal
underwear. And even if it doesn鈥檛, 10 minutes is about as much as naked humans
on the Antarctic ice can stand.
YET more confusion about that there metrification business. Reader John
Mitchell went into a shop in Scotland and asked the assistant for a dozen
nails.
鈥淲e have gone metric,鈥� came the reply. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 supply in dozens.鈥�
鈥淎lright, then,鈥� said Mitchell. 鈥淚 want 10 nails.鈥�
The assistant indicated this would be acceptable.
鈥淗ow much?鈥� asked Mitchell.
鈥淭en pence each,鈥� said the assistant.
DOES Microsoft鈥檚 megalomania know no bounds? The blurb for its new Encarta
World English Dictionary announces triumphantly: 鈥淥ne World. One Dictionary.鈥�
What do the Chinese think about that, we wonder. Or, come to that, the
Germans, the Italians, the French, the . . .
MANY hotels place little cards in their bathrooms requesting guests to throw
used towels on the floor and leave the unused ones on the rail. This way, the
hotel need not launder unused towels. Some even provide cards for guests to
leave out to indicate that they do not need fresh sheets.
Feedback applauds this attempt to avoid the unnecessary waste of water and
detergent, but was alarmed by the scare tactics used to reinforce the idea at
the Marriott Meadowview Hotel in Kingsport, Tennessee. Richard Hoptroff tells us
that the card in the bathroom there begins its resources-saving request with the
line: 鈥淒id you know that only 3 per cent of the world鈥檚 water is fresh?鈥�
SAN FRANCISCO radio station KFOG had a bright idea for a promotion. For a
week or so, it broadcast clues to a 鈥渕ystery adventure鈥濃�攁 special event at
a special place that a lucky winner would be able to witness.
From clues like 鈥渁ble to see Jupiter in the daytime鈥�, it didn鈥檛 take long to
work out that the happening was the total eclipse on 11 August. What was harder
to be sure of at first was the location from which the lucky winner would view
this event. Eventually it became clear: it was Stonehenge.
Sadly, KFOG hadn鈥檛 researched its bright idea quite thoroughly enough:
Stonehenge is not in the eclipse鈥檚 path of totality. But then it will probably
be too cloudy for the winner to notice.
A GROUP called Education Training Services organises seminars to help
teachers keep abreast of their subjects. Reader John Paul Phillips decided to
attend one on 鈥淭he Safe Use of Radioactivity鈥�.
He was impressed by the caveat that came with the seminar programme. The
subject of the session between 12.00 and 12.30 was described as: 鈥淣uclear
Fission鈥攏ot possible to demonstrate in schools.鈥�
HOW WOULD you describe the sound made by the wave energy machine known as an
oscillating water column device, or OWC? Never having seen such a machine, let
alone heard one, Feedback wouldn鈥檛 try鈥攕o we are in no position to dispute
the description that appears on a website devoted to the subject
(http://195.170.12.01/DAEI/PRODUCTS/RET/General/OWC/OWCindustry.htm).
According to the site: 鈥淥n a wavy day, the OWC makes a booming-sighing sound,
like two elephants engaged in copulation.鈥�
So now you know.