Genealogy Chat

did you know a sheet of newspaper can't be folded more than eight times--- try it, if you dare.

Not just newspaper, any kind of paper. nell

The most common sort of shell on the Cumbrian coast is that of the common winkle. We used to gather buckets of them from the beach at Nethertown; locally, they are known as 'cuvvins' (spelt phonetically, as I have never seen it written).

An article by Rob Edwards in the New Scientist (12.10.04) points to thousands of tonnes of shellfish from NW England and SW Scotland being likely to exceed newly proposed international safety limits for radioactivity in food. The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned such foods could be banned. Lobsters, cockles and scallops are so contaminated by Sellafield's plutonium sea discharges that they will breach limits due to be introduced by the United Nations in 2005. The UN's 'Codex Alimentarius Commission' - which brings together the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organisation - is proposing a safety limit for plutonium in food of one becquerel per kilogram (1Bq/kg). The aim is to reduce the long-term risk of getting cancer from eating these foods to below one in a million. The most recent Ministry report (Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2003 - RIFE8) shows plutonium contamination levels in Cumbria's whelks and cockles far in excess of the proposed limit. Whilst local West Cumbrian winkles are shown to average around 100 times greater than this limit, ------- those from St. Bees and Nethertown show significantly higher levels - over 200 times the proposed 1Bq/kg limit. - 260Bq/kg and 210 Bk/kg respectively. Figures for Morecambe Bay and the Solway area show that whilst cockles and whelks are less contaminated than their West Cumbrian counterparts, they too would be outlawed by the UN. Just thought you'd like to know:)

Oooooooooooooh! This was forty-odd years ago. In those days we used to put becquerels on our fish and chips as an alternative to vinegar!

How many times can you fold a winkle???????

I have had a particularly hard and trying week at work and am totally exhausted, hence the brain is even more scrambled than usual, so pleas do not be too hard on me, but I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS! Please could someone explain this thread to me? Tina

Nothing to explain Tina, we're all mad and you are the only sane one!!

Tina Well done! You are well on the way to joining the madhouse! nell

why has my reply board suddenly become the latest chat line ? or is it just the quickest route to the mad house ? if it is i'm in the lead.

TRACY ! IT'S NOT NUT'S WERE FOLDING- IT'S PAPER AND WINKLES

WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY---------

NO, THAT WON'T WORK, IT'S VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE

> Not just newspaper, any kind of paper While that is generally correct, an American high school student has recently been able to physically demonstrate that there are some circumstances in which a greater number of folds can be achieved in practice. The demonstration has no practical value (so far) apart from indicating the nature of the inherent constraints in the problem domain. Cheers, Bill Sydney, Australia

THANK'S FOR THAT- BILL ,I'LL KEEP PRACTICING.

Geoff I want to know when you got the fish and chips ..... .....how many times was the newspaper folded?

How do you iron a winkle?

is this the latest chat up line on the tips board? I can't really understand why it is on this board either! Can't fold a birth cert more than eight times either tho! ~Jess~

Bill - that's just showing off! Not sure folding (or ironing) certificates is a good idea and it is definitely NOT good to use them for wrapping fish & chips - they aren't greaseproof. nell

Tracy But you can't fold it or wrap it when it's laminated, can you! nell