http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3155994.stm

You can rely on PhD students to solve the world's greatest mysteries...

I love it.. I bet they never went sort of biscuits in the tea room!

Mmm I wonder if I can change my project and do one on the dunking abiities of biscuits

I wonder what they did to have a break from their research though? Could hardly go for a cup of tea and a nice biscuit, could they?

LOL! finally, a good use for science!

Great one Ann . Did you also check the "SEE ALSO" section? Amazing titles:

-Web takes the biscuit

-Cold milk takes the biscuit

-No more flunking on dunking

hehe, yes, I especially liked the 'cold milk...' one
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/510044.stm

Don't you think Dr Fisher looks a wee bit like John Major?!

I like the 'have your say' comment. Never mind the digital speckle pattern interferometry, the general public still say 'the shelf stacker drops them'.

I wonder if they can explain why it's usually only the biscuits at the top of the pack that are cracked? (or is that only my imagination?)
I came across this guy who is analysing barn owl pellets as part of his research, and he can't find any (low population). Really, my heart went out to him, if only someone had warned him not to take on the project. Imagine having to make a public appeal to find what you need to research?

And if this result was 3 years ago, why the biscuits I bought the other day were cracked? Am I buying the brands that doesn't support research?

Wasn't there a big study a few years ago to understand why buttered toast always lands on the floor buttered side down?

Think so, but it was a boring result - something about the standard height of a kitchen worktop.

There was a study in the British medical journal (I think) looking at the half life of tea spoons. They had tea spoons in a canteen and tea spoons in a closed lab and measured the half life of tea spoons. Apparently it was to help departments estimate their costs related to tea spoons or some such thing.

What?! The time taken for half of the spoons to go missing you mean? Did any of the spoons in the closed lab go missing?!

Yeah, I think so, the time for half to go missing. It was quite a while ago since I read it. Must be around somewhere. I am pretty sure the half life was the same for the closed lab and the canteen. So I guess the theif was in that lab.....

I think they may also have looked at spoon value to see if more expensive spoons went missing more often. I dont think there was a correlation (dont think they had any silver spoons though)

Was there a follow up study to analyse the optimum tea-making technique - milk first, milk after or via the teapot?