Basic brew
FEEDBACK鈥檚 fruitloopery detector previously warmed up in the presence of Blue Bottle Love鈥檚 solar-powered healing water (30 January). Now we find it positively sizzling upon the discovery of Blue Moon Dream Water.
尝辞苍诲辞苍鈥檚 Evening Standard newspaper reports that the turquoise tipple is in vogue with the city鈥檚 health trendsetters, and notes that its alkaline properties are purportedly the key to looking like a supermodel.
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, Feedback hasn鈥檛 been able to get its hands on any of this blue elixir. We wonder if a glass of Toilet Duck is an acceptable substitute.
鈥淧eter Davies on quantum footwear: 鈥業 thought socks existed in a state of superposition, since they are simultaneously both right- and left-footed until you put them on鈥欌��
Mobile library
UNUSUAL units from around the world are still wandering into Feedback鈥檚 inbox.
Anthony Daniel sends us a clipping from a guidebook he used on a recent trip to the volcanic region of Lanzarote, which reveals that 鈥淭he camel can carry at least 600 books, and some can carry as many as a thousand.鈥�
Anthony says: 鈥淎t least if you find your camel can only manage 600 books, you will have plenty of reading matter to pass the time while waiting for a second camel.鈥�
Fabric of reality
READERS continue to be vexed by quantum superposition manifesting itself at the macro scale.
Chris Knight reports: 鈥淲hen putting a fitted sheet on my mattress, the sheet begins in a state of being long enough to fit the mattress in any direction.
鈥淚t is only after I get two corners in place that it collapses into having a long and a short side 鈥� invariably, the short side is the one I am trying to fit over the length of the mattress, requiring me to start over.鈥�
Chris also reports another confounding factor, in which the square duvet cover fits 鈥渨ell enough鈥� in either orientation. 鈥淥nly when observed by my wife, however, does it collapse into a correct or incorrect alignment,鈥� he sighs.
Extra dimensional toolbench
MEANWHILE, Chas Bazeley writes that 鈥渋t is well known amongst those with an interest in do-it-yourself that any tool placed on a workbench will instantly flip out of existence, only to reappear 10 minutes later in the same spot once they are looking for something else鈥�.
Carbon fix
THOSE looking to cut down on their calories might like to try loading up on a few bags of Domino Sugar. Sue Jarvis directs us to the company鈥檚 website, which boasts that its sweet stuff is 鈥溾��.
While it鈥檚 possible this is simply a reference to a carbon-emissions certification system, Feedback thinks you may need an airtight shopping bag rather than a basket for this carbon-free carbohydrate, and advises you to steer clear of naked flames.
Rigged ratio
YET more rules for life: Peter Steggle tells us that our battles with macro-scale quantum effects are a manifestation of the mysterious 50-50-90 rule. He explains: 鈥淎ny time you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there鈥檚 a 90 per cent probability you鈥檒l get it wrong.鈥�
Peter also provides evidence from his day-to-day life. 鈥淎s an electrician, when we connect up a three-phase motor, it has a 50-50 chance that it will rotate in the right direction. But they always seem to go the wrong way.鈥�
Voltage splitter
SPEAKING of electrics, Mick Johnson sparks our curiosity with a strange clause he discovered in some anonymous guidance notes for the latest edition of the UK鈥檚 wiring regulations, which claims that they 鈥減urely outline a standard by which all electrical installations, using normal electricity as opposed to Nuclear and other types of electricity, are installed鈥︹��
how he can tell the difference between normal, nuclear and other types of electricity at the point at which it boils his kettle 鈥� and whether a special type of plug is needed.
Big gulp
IN RESPONSE to the UK government reducing its recommended alcohol limit (newscientist.com/article/dn28742), Richard Sleeman tells us he has 鈥渆nrolled on a wine-tasting course to ensure that the meagre quantity which is allowed to pass my lips is of the highest quality鈥�.
During a class, Richard was shown a bottled labelled 鈥�750ML鈥�. 鈥淭hroughout my career as a chemist, the abbreviation for millilitre has changed several times: cc, cm3, ml, and seems to have settled on mL,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut I鈥檝e never come across ML, which must surely be megalitre.鈥�
Feedback can only begin to imagine what a 750-megalitre bottle might look like 鈥� let alone which biblical king the bottle should be named after.
Not a moment to lose
AN IMPORTANT announcement from our colleagues on the news desk: there are at least 2.8 billion years left before the universe tears itself apart (5 March, p 18). 鈥淭hank goodness,鈥� says Neil Winegarden, 鈥淚 still need to paint the kitchen.鈥� But surely not everyone will be so fortunate. Feedback is certain readers can suggest some things that still won鈥檛 be done by the year 2800002016.
Magazine cover
READER Max Galloway informs us: 鈥淲hen I first bought condoms, I bought a New 杏吧原创 magazine with them to not look weird鈥�. We鈥檙e happy to be of assistance to Max, although it makes us wonder what other unusual uses readers have found for this publication.
