Episode #694

News Items

    Science or Fiction

    • Item #1 Science

      British spies in WWI used semen as invisible ink, giving rise to the phrase, ‘Every man his own stylo.’

    • Item #2 Fiction

      Henry VIII instituted a hair tax based on social standing, and failure to pay resulted in public head shaving.

    • Item #3 Science

      The 1831 London Bridge was purchased by an American and moved to Arizona.

    Skeptical Quote of the Week.

    ‘It’s so important that we as skeptics and rationalists step up: when someone is in a bad place, it’s the responsibility of everyone who knows them – and even people who don’t know them – to watch their back. Because when I’m in that place myself, when I’m at my lowest ebb and feel as though reality offers no hope, I want there to be people who stop me walking – blinded by vulnerability – into an open manhole.’ - Michael Marshall