Interesting Fact - The Weather
The poor old UK is suffering, Britain is officially colder than Siberia as temperatures plummet to a bone-chilling -12°. (It's actually too cold to grit the roads!)
Posts
Interesting Place - Finland
Day-care centres in Finland put children outside to nap, even in temperatures of -5°C. (Seemingly this is an old Finnish custom and it's common to see rows of prams lined up in the snow at nap-time, with youngsters fast asleep inside. It became widespread when it was first promoted by the father of Finland's own Dr Spock, Arvo Ylppö. The theory behind outdoor napping is that children exposed to fresh air, whether in summer or the depths of winter, are less likely to catch coughs and colds. I guess it saves on heating bills too.)
Interesting Fact - Health
According to analysis of data from the Office for National Statistics by SSentif , the NHS in the UK spends more than £440m a year on painkillers. (This works out at £8.80 per person, with some GPs giving patients over-the-counter painkillers and branded cold and flu treatments like Lemsip and Anadin on prescription. My doctor once prescribed coffee and red wine (long story), but he wouldn't give me a prescription.)
Interesting Fact # 1228 - Coldest Temperature in the UK - Podcast
The coldest recorded temperature in the UK is -27.2° C. It was recorded three times in Scotland, twice in Braemar, 11 February 1895 and 10 January 1982 and once in Altnaharra on 30 December 1995. (The coldest recorded temperature in England so far, was -26.1° C, 10 January 1982 in Shawbury Shropshire. Brrrr!)
Interesting Place - The Boomerang Nebula
The Boomerang Nebula, is the coldest place known outside a science laboratory. (The nebula is 5000 light-years from Earth and is in the constellation Centaurus, with a temperature of –272.15 degrees Celsius; 1 K. I can't see anyone booking there for their holidays.)
Interesting Fact - Health
Wrapping up warm really CAN help stop you catching a cold. (Your granny was right. You can catch a chill from being out in the cold without your vest on. Staff at the Common Cold Centre in Cardiff took 180 volunteers and asked half of them to keep their bare feet in icy water for 20 minutes. They found 29% developed a cold within five days, compared with only 9% in the control group not exposed to a chill.)