10 things we didn't know this time last week

10 THINGS 10 peanuts - by Barbara Brownie Be creative! See 10 things? Send us a picture

It's easy to lose track of the news. So at the end of the week, it's good to keep an eye on some of those things which shouldn't go unnoticed.

If you spot something you think should be included next week, send it to us using the form at the bottom of the page.

 

1. It takes more effort to lie than to tell the truth. Scientists have now found that twinge of conscience can be seen in increased activity in the brain.

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2. Bosses of MI6 sign official documents in distinctive green ink. Sir Richard Dearlove, who gave evidence to the Hutton Inquiry this week but who was not actually seen, so as to preserve his anonymity, is just the latest head of the service to do so. And he doesn't sign his own name. Naturally he just writes "C".

Smoke outside or not at all

3. If Europe goes ahead with plans to copy New York's ban on smoking, barkeeps and restaurateurs take heed. New Yorkers barred from lighting up have found it a doodle to skip out on their bills by saying "I'm just popping out for a cig".

4. Should anything happen to KaZaA, such as being closed down by the authorities, one peer-to-peer service which might step up is Earth Station 5. According to Slate, "it uses a mesh of proxy servers, encrypted data, and other identity-hiding tricks to keep copyright owners from tracking who's downloading what". And to make matters more difficult for record company bosses, its HQ is in the Gaza Strip.

5. When General de Gaulle visited former PM Harold Macmillan to discuss Britain's entry into the Common Market, he brought bottles of blood with him. The then French president was a rare blood type and it was a precaution in case of assassination attempt. The prime minister's wife, perplexed about what to do with the bottles, was going to store the blood in her fridge but didn't, fearing that the cook would quit. A government fridge was found instead. This and other titbits from Michael Cockerell's fascinating series into the UK's relations with other countries, With Friends Like These. (The next episode in the UK is on Sunday at 1900 BST.)

10 THINGS ON CEEFAX If you're in the UK, you can now see 10 Things at the weekend on Ceefax, page 129

6. Monkee Mike Nesmith's mother invented Liquid Paper.

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7. And monkeys have a sense of fair play. US scientists believe they have demonstrated this by having a pair of Capuchin monkeys performing simple tasks and receiving bits of cucumber as rewards for doing so. Then the researchers arbitrarily gave one monkey a much sweeter reward, a grape, instead. The other monkey appeared to sulk, by stopping the task or taking the cucumber but not eating it. Unionisation is expected shortly.

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8. Madonna's new book for children, The English Roses, is based on the teachings of the Kabbalah religion, a philosophical system sometimes described as a mystical branch of Judaism. Followers chant, pray and meditate every day, drink blessed water and perform rituals such as swinging a chicken over the head to absorb negative energy.

9. Friday was International Talk Like a Pirate Day - the best chance all year to shout "Avast there, me fair beauties" without unduly raising eyebrows.

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The best a man can get

10. Kiwi outdoor clothing company Fairydown has been rebranded Zone in Australia as its menfolk are worried about the gay connotations of the word "fairy". Sir Edmund Hillary - who wore Fairydown clothing and slept in a Fairydown sleeping bag when he conquered Everest with Tenzing Norgay - thinks the Aussies are sissies. "Reading that connotation into the name is just absolutely stupid," he told NZ's Dominion Post.

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If you see something you think should be included next week, let us know using the form below.