Curious Questions: Why are pineapples called pineapples, when they're not pines and not apples?
Martin Fone delves into the curious history of one of the world's most popular tropical fruits.
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Curious Questions: Who made the first proper car journey?
The man who invented the very first motor car didn't think it would be able to survive a long-distance car journey. Luckily, his wife had more faith, as Martin Fone discovered when he investigated the tale of Bertha Benz.
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Curious Questions: Is there a germ of truth in St Swithin's Day weather predictions?
Sunshine on St Swithin's Day is supposed to mean that we're set for 40 days of sun; if it rains, however, we're supposed to expect 40 days of precipitation. Martin Fone investigates how this curious prediction came about — and whether there is anything in it. The answer may surprise you...
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Curious Questions: How wise are owls?
The age-old image of the intelligent owl has persisted for centuries — but are they really the intellectuals of the avian world? Martin Fone investigates.
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Curious Question: Why can we see the moon during the day?
For many years, Martin Fone was convinced that the moon was inextricably linked with the night. Having realised his error, he ponders why it's so rare to see — or at any rate to notice — the moon in the daytime sky.
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Curious Questions: Why do we call picture puzzles 'jigsaws'?
Jigsaws have been around since the 18th century and have gone through all sorts of iterations. Martin Fone traces their curious history.
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Curious Questions: How does soap work?
We've been using soap for thousands of years, as Martin Fone finds out. But how does it actually work?
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Curious Questions: Who first used corks in wine — and how did they get them out again before the invention of the corkscrew?
There's nothing quite like the noise of uncorking a bottle of wine. Despite the inroads made by screwcaps, the majority of us still prefer the ritual of opening a bottle with a corkscrew. But how did we first start doing that in the first place? Martin Fone investigates.
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Curious Questions: Why do clocks go clockwise?
There's nothing to stop the hands of a clock from running backwards — indeed, some actually do — but the overwhelming majority move, well, clockwise. Martin Fone investigates.
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Curious Questions: How will we greet each other in a post Covid-19 world?
Kissing cheeks will surely be frowned upon, and even the humble handshake may struggle to regain its pre-eminence. But what other options will we have for greeting each other when the world gets (cautiously) back to normal?
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Curious Questions: Why do the clocks go forward in Spring?
As we move from Greenwich Mean Time to British Summer Time, Martin Fone ponders the reasons why — and wonders if we'll always continue to change the clocks twice a year.
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Curious Questions: What did people use before toilet paper?
The mania for the humble toilet roll that has accompanied the coronavirus has our columnist Martin Fone musing on where it came from in the first place.
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Curious Questions: Who first discovered that washing your hands stops the spread of disease?
Washing your hands regularly is the single biggest thing you can do to help stop the spread of coronavirus. In an article adapted from a chapter of his book, Martin Fone explains more.
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Curious Questions: Who was Earl Grey — and why are we drinking his tea?
If you've ever stopped to wonder exactly which member of the aristocracy put his name to the floral, perfumed tea, Martin Fone has the answer.
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Curious Questions: Why do we say it with flowers?
Post-Valentine's Day, Martin Fone takes a look at the true meaning behind flowers, decoding what each individual bloom says about the receiver - or the sender.
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Cruising the Alaskan Inside Passage: Where the Call of the Wild meets the Lap of Luxury
Seeing the remote wilderness of Alaska was once reserved only for pilots and adventurers; today, cruise ships take passengers by the thousand to enjoy these spectacular parts. Martin Fone went on the archetypal Alaska cruise: a seven-day journey up the Alaskan Inside Passage.
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Curious Questions: Why are wine bottles all pretty much the same shape and colour?
We drink 36 billion bottles of wine a year — and almost all of them come in wine bottles that share essentially the same design. Martin Fone wonders why.
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Curious Questions: How did a stork with a spear through its neck solve the mystery of the migration of birds?
For thousands of years, most people were convinced that birds hibernated in the winter — until a staggeringly resilient stork proved otherwise. Martin Fone explains.
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Curious Questions: Why are banana skins so slippery?
The deadly slipperiness of the discarded banana skin — substantially more slippery than ice — is a staple of comic sketches across the world, but what is it that makes our favourite tropical fruit such a hazard? Martin Fone investigates.
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Curious Questions: Which bird's song is loudest?
We tend to think of bird song as endearing and delicate — but there are birds out there who would put the average foghorn to shame. Martin Fone finds out which is the loudest.
