The Sun, the Moon and the Shark

This was a story which, appeared in the news a while ago.  It's actually from my Physics coursework (it's not really physics, but it was in my physic lesson, so that sort of counts), it's about how the media misrepresents scientific discoveries. I love that I can write rants in my coursework and prove that there really are some idiots out there. 

The Sun ran the story that the killer shark that killed a man in the Seychelles was guided to the bay by the moon. The source of this story says that the shark will strike again at the full moon. The source for this was a fisherman. This story lacks sense as well as science since they based the attacks on two people who were killed by apparently two different sharks. Science wise, the tide is higher at a full moon so there would be a greater chance at the time to see a water dwelling creature. But it doesn’t mean that sharks hunt by it, they are sharks not fictitious werewolves.        

- Guildenstern (With science brain fully functioning due to the editing of my science essays. You're lucky you just have this story. I promise I won't post my explanation of the Acid Dissociation Constant. Yes, I'm a huge science geek. Sorry.)   

Bank Holidays, BBQ's and Baked Potatoes

In celebration of our Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, it seems each town in the country has held a party of some sort. This is madness for it is a Bank Holiday weekend which, are always exclusively rained off, so you generally avoid planning anything out doors. Bank Holidays are typical examples of the indoor BBQ, where you have risked buying coals and started lighting the BBQ outside but have also set the cooker on standby and are sat in preparation, with your plate full of salad, ready to dive into the house as soon as the first drop of precipitation falls from the sky and bung your remaining sausages under the grill. However, one brave member of your party remains outside in defiance, under an umbrella, poking the coals which, refuse to light, begging to the clouds not to ruin another attempt to cook and eat meat outside.        

Today, having learnt from previous BBQ-ing attempts, we decided to attend the “sort of” party in the town. My town decided to hold its party in the park with a precision of one of the many Bag Pipe bands we have for a small seaside market town, over four hundred miles south of the Scottish border. They were followed by ten members of the council, a group of sea cadets, five people of a majorette group (not even doing a majorette routine, literally just walking) and a man in a white van. Somehow that seemed to constitute a “parade” which, ended in the park where, apparently, there was plenty of entertainment. This entertainment was a stand with a DJ and four fast food vans. But not your usual fast food vans where you would expect burgers and chips. No, but two vans selling Baked Potatoes! Yes, Baked Potatoes. Two of them! Why? How do you serve Baked Potatoes as a fast food? Even worse than that, they were just selling the Baked Potatoes for two pound each, the fillings were additional. Two pound for someone just to hand you a plain Baked Potato!

- Guildenstern