Losing your buttons

[peter monahan]

This is inspired by the article on malaria mosquitos and their effect on the British at Yorktown.

A chap told me of some recent metallurgical of metal buttons worn by Napoleon's soldiers. Apparently their composition would have made them extremely brittle in very cold temperatures. Perhaps one cause of the loss of the Russian campaign was the necessity for the Crapaud's to hold their pants up [and coats closed] while fighting and marching, after their button popped off.

I have NOT traced down this story yet, but thought it worth sharing in a light hearted vein.

[Markgraf]

According the wiki the story is hoax...(however the tin pest is a real hazard for tin/tin alloy objects)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_pest

[peter monahan]

Thank you for setting me straight, Markgraf. I'm usually the one de-bunking such stories but it caught my fancy and though I did look up 'tin diesase' I clearly didn't read enough or carefully enough. How embarassing!

[Markgraf]

The precept is ok, but it's a much slower process (but it sounds good as all hoax ).

[peter monahan]

Yes, just read another reference to the myth on another web site - presented, and rightly so, as how science gets mis-used or misunderstood in the service of popular myth and a good story. Still embarrassed I got taken in, though.

[Spasm]

Specially for you Pete:

So there's 3 geezers who always go to the local café for breakfast on a Friday. Sausage, egg, bubble and a tea. And it always costs a fiver each. A total bill between them of £15.

A new waitress takes the money to the till and the boss says to her "those blokes are in every week, give them a fiver back for being good customers this week."

"Nice one" thinks the waitress. Walking back to the three geezers she pockets two of the pound coins and gives each bloke £1 change.

As each guy has originally paid a fiver and then receives £1 back from the waitress so they have therefore paid £4 each for their breakfast.

So, that's 3 blokes at £4 each and the £2 that the waitress nicked which totals £14.

Where's the other £1 gone?

[peter monahan]

Spasm

Word problem math to me: "If six weasels can dig half a hole in two days, why do wombats roof cars?"

Heard yours before, 35 years ago. Still no clue. When I taught Philosophy and had to touch, briefly and painfully, on formal logic, I always had the kid with the best math mark teach that bit. But ask me how many angels can dance on the head of a pin and I'm your man!