The great thing about scientists – well, one of the many great things about scientists – is that, at heart, they are big kids. Not, you understand, that they run around screaming inconsolably, or that they lack full control of their bodily fluids – but rather they have always managed to maintain…

Rarely would we be so bold as to start this column with a quote from one of the most harrowing poems ever penned. Yet upon receiving our Editor’s brief this month, we found a certain line tumbling from our mouths.

We come to you this month from on high, floating in a miasmic cloud of our own delight. Something rare has happened. Something very rare indeed.

“What,” exclaims our increasingly despairing editor “…happened here?” Despite the Science Lite desk’s attempts to cover the rapidly expanding puddle of water at our feet, the sodden patch darkens and gives us up.

As ingenuity goes – we humans are unbearably smug. As a species, the notion that we can ‘out-invent’ any other inhabitants of the rock famous, among other things, for being third from the Sun seems utterly inherent. A given.

Given our role here on Science Lite – which largely consists of generating both tea and whimsy – it isn’t often we feel emboldened enough to suggest an entire paradigm shift in the way science is carried out. Yet, buoyed by our fifth cup of the day (tea, not whimsy) we have been moved to

Fans of this page may remember that two issues ago, the ScienceLite desk got into trouble for feigning intelligence and evolutionary insight using a quote from Jurassic Park. Sadly our editor was sharp enough to realise the quote’s origin and call us out for it, ensuing much embarrassment.

The internet.  Internal combustion.  Crisps. Just three things that we on the Science Lite desk are constantly disappointed we didn’t invent. Not being computer scientists, engineers or food production experts we can, however, forgive ourselves to some extent.

Life is all about learning lessons. And here on the Science Lite desk we have just learnt a very valuable one.

“Since this is a bumper year for sport, I want you lazy lot to do something on the science and myths in sports” came the terrifying words from the Editor. Not the Science Lite team’s favourite topic – unless it involves a few alcoholic beverages down the pub while watching the latest match, but…