Haje’s Brain

The Shell Eco-Marathon is a competition in which vehicles take fuel consumption to the extreme - During one of its races, a japanese team, “Fancy Carol” set the current world record of 11,195 Miles Per Gallon (MPG). Compare that to up to 60 MPG in very efficient diesel passenger cars, or as little as 8 MPG in high-powered sportscars.

The Shell Eco-Marathon’s history stretches back over fifty years. A group of Shell scientists based in a research laboratory in Illinois, USA, had a friendly bet to see who could drive their own car furthest on one gallon of fuel. Although they ‘only’ achieved 50 miles per gallon, it was the foundation of today’s prestigious international event. (more…)

The fear of buttons on clothing, known as button phobia or koumpounophobia, is an irrational phobia which is, perhaps surprisingly, a fairly common fear.

Most people who suffer from this phobia are convinced that they are the only ones in the world to suffer from such a strange fear, and they are often teased or taunted by others who do not understand or believe that they are telling the truth. (more…)

On the 27th of February, T Mobile charged me for my mobile phone bill. It was £51, and I only had £44 available in my account. However, my bank rejected the direct debit, and charged me £38 for the privilege. So I threw a hissy fit at my bank, but “tough luck” was the general response.

Around the same time, however, the Observer ran an article, “Customers urged to sue over overdraft penalties“. Obviously, these two actions together had to be an omen from the Gods, and I decided to write a letter to my bank: (more…)