Science
Why the wind blows, and why it does not blow straight
Air moves from high pressure to low pressure. It then gets deflected by the rotation of the planet, which is…
Articles
Recipes, travel, facts, stories and everyday knowledge, newest first.
Short Stories
Lot 41: contents of a piano stool
A house clearance catalogue, itemised by someone who was paid to describe objects and not to think about them. Short…
How Things Work
What seasoning a cast iron pan actually is, and why yours keeps rusting
Seasoning is not oil soaked into the metal. It is a hard plastic-like layer chemically bonded to it, and knowing…
Travel Tips
Delhi to Jaipur: four ways, and which one suits which trip
About 270 kilometres, and four genuinely different answers depending on whether you are optimising for time, cost, comfort or flexibility.
Drinks
Why your chai turns bitter, and the boil that causes it
Bitterness in chai is over-extracted tannin. It is a function of time and temperature, and the standard hard ten-minute boil…
Science
Why we have leap years, and why some are skipped
A year is not a whole number of days. Every calendar rule since has been an attempt to manage the…
Short Stories
The last wash
It is twenty to midnight in a launderette on a wet Tuesday, and there is one shirt still going round.…
How Things Work
Why phone batteries get worse, and the habits that slow it down
Lithium-ion cells age from being full and from being hot, not just from being used. Most advice about charging is…
Food & Lifestyle
What to eat in Jaipur, and what each dish actually is
Rajasthani cooking was shaped by a shortage of water and fresh vegetables. Knowing that explains most of the menu before…
Indian Recipes
Dal tadka, and why the tempering goes on at the end
The tempering is not an ingredient you add, it is a way of extracting flavour into fat. Cook it into…