Scientifically speaking, fertility rate is measured by number of offspring per individual. Fecundity refers to potential to reproduce.

If possession of a gun is a crime, it means the perpetrator can potentially be arrested before they actually shoot someone. (But, crucially, after they have committed a crime.)

I'm so glad it wasn't just me! I was disgusted, briefly intrigued and then relieved. And now I, too, want a samosa.

Not strictly the point: it was my understanding that heavy lifting doesn't cause hernias, just exacerbates existing ones. Googling returned confusing answers from dubious sources, so not sure if that's correct...

I absolutely know what you mean. I found Propeller's Shrew relatively accessible, but I got taken to see Anthony and Cleopatra by another company (against my will) a few years ago and had no idea what was going on until it was far too late to pick up the plot. Sometimes I cheat and look up the story before I go so I…

On a semi-related note: see above, men dressed as women being awesome. I saw this on stage a few weeks ago. They were incredible and never played the "men in dresses" thing for laughs or acted as if it was beneath them.

It's so disrespectful to their cabin crew (particularly female cabin crew, and also women in general) that they're dressing up as them for a laugh. This bet happened ages ago and I thought someone had quietly decided it was a stupid idea, but apparently they just needed the perfect moment to be jerks.

Wouldn't it be better to find out what actually works as a deterrent and/or to discourage repeat offending? If the would-be offender never offends in the first place, that's better for everyone concerned. Similarly, if those who do offend are discouraged from offending again.

Also, it isn't necessarily the middle of the day. Depending on the aspect of the windows, that could very easily be late evening. The past few evenings up here on the north east coast have been gloriously sunny until after 8pm.

Chinese is notoriously difficult to learn, is completely unfamiliar to most Westerners and ordering complicated coffees is hardly basic. Also, whilst it's a great ideal, if you travel to lots of countries (or even just lots of regions of China) learning the basics beyond "hello," "goodbye" and "thank you" is…

None of the Starbucks I've ever been to in China (quite a few in a few cities) have ever had any problem with English. They don't owe it to foreigners, as such, but for the Starbucks brand it makes great sense - they're providing a reliable and easy service for tourists and expats, as well as local people.

Jezebel was the first report I've seen that made everything about overweight women. However, being that the effect of high alcohol intake on liver disease was already known before this study, from a "news" perspective the focus should be on the BMI aspect which is a nuance to existing knowledge. In terms of care, I'm…

Despite the probably-cynical reasons for doing this, it does look like even they are starting to realise that they're trying to hold back the tide here and it's losing them votes. Hopefully this is the start of reform, even if that reform is initially reluctant.

I don't understand why this tension seems to have developed between areas of study. Whilst specialisation is preferable - almost certainly necessary for our current level of academic pursuit - the value of appreciating, and being broadly knowledgeable of, other disciplines seems to have been largely lost.

I know it isn't your policy, but the "comment early" thing really acts to exclude people in other timezones or for whom new posts tend to coincide with their working hours. (That isn't why I'm posting this several days after it was posted - that's because I was at work and then I acquired and then slept off an…

Agreed. Just because you don't like the findings, doesn't mean something isn't true. (I'll come clean and admit that I haven't read this study, so I don't know whether the findings stand up to scrutiny in this particular case.) In the words of Richard Feynman: "If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong." The…

Whilst I'm sure academia plays a big role in these kids' decisions, I don't think it's unreasonable to want to minimise the risk of being discriminated against or assaulted. Aside from personal well-being, they can have a major impact on your capacity to learn.

Cemeteries also have the benefit of being quiet neighbours! I know exactly what you mean about being calm. In cities, they're one of the few outdoor spaces where it's almost always quiet. I've never looked for particular causes, but I do find it more interesting when the gravestone tells you how someone died. I love…

I've heard Highgate is really interesting and the photos look absolutely beautiful. Will have to make sure I fit it into my itinerary next time I'm down in London.

I think the last flight I was on, the cabin crew pretty much did that. I hate flying and they took boozy pity on me.