Buzzed off
WITH the Olympic Games in Rio just a month away, plenty of companies are hoping to cash in. Rebecca Robbins of medical publication gives a tour of some of the goods claiming to protect against Zika virus, including stickers, hats, nets, wristbands and bracelets. All are infused with anti-mosquito spray, and all offer protection that is dubious at best.
Add to this 鈥渁nti-Zika condoms鈥� to prevent sexual transmission of the virus (all condoms offer such protection), and herbalists offering turmeric, basil and ginger as a way to waste good curry ingredients in ineffective antivirals. And of course, we are told by that the water cure offers prophylaxis against such epidemics 鈥揹ilutions of belladonna, poison ivy and boneset are said to be equally effective, .
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Avoidance remains the best strategy, and while DEET is still the deterrent of choice, Feedback recalls, as Robbins does, the news last year that Victoria鈥檚 Secret Bombshell perfume offers some protection from Zika (28 November, 2015) 鈥� whether borne by mosquitoes or men.
鈥淐olin McCulloch writes: 鈥淵our comment on the 鈥榝irst cut鈥� article sponsored by Gillette reminded me of free condoms and chlamydia tests promoted in pharmacies under a Virgin Care logo鈥濃��
To me
FEEDBACK has been led up the garden path, writes Mark Fawcett (18 June). 鈥淎licia Keys was not born with that name, but adopted it,鈥� he says, because she felt it represented her identity as a performer.
This is therefore a case of harnessing the power of nominative determinism for career success, much like South Yorkshire comedy duo the Chuckle Brothers.
Mud locker
PREVIOUSLY The Irish Times hinted enigmatically that it was 鈥渘ot unusual鈥� to discover lumps of millennia-old butter hidden in bogs (25 June). 鈥淭he prevailing theory is that, being at an evenly cold temperature, bogs were used in ancient times much as we use refrigerators today,鈥� writes Ian Napier. 鈥淧ersonally, however, I suspect they didn鈥檛 know what else to do with it until the invention of sliced bread.鈥�
Ersatz spritz
WE ARE left baffled, as David Moss is, by Glaceau brand bottled water, which boasts that it is 鈥渄istilled spring water with added electrolytes鈥�. Isn鈥檛 that a rather circular process? How do they tell the difference between the two? And when is the water deemed ready for drinking?
To you
MEANWHILE, Crispian Strachan writes, there is also nominative anti-determinism at work in this universe. 鈥淪ome years ago, one English police force had a brass band led by a local conductor, one Major Crook,鈥� he says. And perhaps in a similar vein, there is South Yorkshire comedy duo the Chuckle Brothers.
Circle the wagons
DURING recent floods in Launceton, Tasmania, officials warned that 鈥�24,000 Volkswagens worth of water鈥� was flowing through swollen rivers every second, reports Jon Burne.
鈥淚 immediately wondered which model the controller was referring to,鈥� says Jon. Feedback feels that Jon ought to focus on the spirit, rather than the letter of the warning.
Cool runnings
MARK RIBBANDS is delighted by the acoustic specifications touted for the ventilation fan he鈥檚 fitting to a motorhome. Not only is the device reported to be 鈥渟ilent at high speed鈥� but, even better, it鈥檚 鈥渆xceptionally silent鈥� at minimum speed.
D茅j脿 too
IAN NAPIER, a name we鈥檙e sure sounds familiar, asks: 鈥淲hat is the term for having had that d茅j脿 vu feeling before? Is that just plain old d茅j脿 vu, d茅j脿 vu squared or something else entirely?鈥� Perhaps one of Feedback鈥檚 wise readers can advise.
Uphill struggle
FEEDBACK has previously struggled with how to adhere to the rules of the Celebrity Diet 鈥� that is, selecting foods that are high in energy but low in calories 鈥� and came to the conclusion that food eaten on a mountain such as Helvellyn might fit the bill (4 June).
鈥淢y teenage son, Luke, points out that the Celebrity Diet would be very successful鈥� if this were the case, says Sean Kelly. 鈥淗aving dined on top of Helvellyn, you must descend to ground level to harness the potential energy stored within your low calorie dinner. To eat again, you need to ascend Helvellyn again.鈥� Weight loss will be rapid, we are assured.
Tube tale
MORE pre-science prescience in literary fiction: Dave Cheesman writes that Elon Musk鈥檚 Hyperloop is presaged in the 4 July 1950 issue of The Eagle comic, 鈥渋n which Dan Dare and his stalwart batman Digby are taken by the Treens to the capital of Venus in an 鈥楨lectrosender'鈥�. This baroque transportation carriage is shot down a vacuum tube using electromagnets, reaching speeds of 24,000 kilometres per hour. Sounds familiar, but no word yet from Musk on plans for Venus.
That鈥檚 nuts
WHAT makes something healthy? A pack of 鈥渞aw organic apricot kernels鈥� warns buyers they must limit themselves to just 8 seeds per day, due to the presence of amygdalin, 鈥渨hich can cause symptoms of cyanide poisoning when eaten in excess鈥�. Nonetheless, we are also informed that the kernels come from wild trees untouched by any 鈥減esticide, herbicide or synthetic fertilizer鈥�. What a relief!