The Spanish author who is best known to readers around the world is probably the 16th/17th century author Miguel de Cervantes. Although he wrote several works of both prose and... (read more)

No, unlike most action films it isn't. Christopher Nolan, the director, has so far refused to use 3D and prefers to stay with 70 mm. This is a suprise for a lot of people, including Michael Lewis, who created the 3D projection system that is mostly used... (read more)

When it was first proposed to build the statue, the total cost of the figure and pedestal, as well as of putting the two together, was estimated at $125,000, or about a million francs.... (read more)

If you are looking at energy in terms of calories burned, then the answer should be shooting, where in order to hit a target successfully you have to be able to keep still. Archery, while physically more demanding, still doesn't involve much movement... (read more)

As with any product that has received a lot of hype, the second stage is that people start spreading rumours about side effects. Among the stories circulated have been a claim that it causes cancer and that it leaches vitamins and minerals from your skin.... (read more)

You can get there using the London Underground. If you click here and scroll down, you will see the underground... (read more)

It has long been thought that he commited suicide by shooting himself. However, in October 2011 a new biography came out that suggested a different theory. This biography,... (read more)

Qwiki is a fast way of presenting and sharing information. The basic idea is that you use it to gather available information from the internet, and it then presents it to you in different formats. So if you have search... (read more)

Those bankers who turn out to have broken the law should certainly be prosecuted, of course. At the moment there is a big debate about exactly what the law allows and whether it should be changed; but of course these are two separate things. Several... (read more)

If you look the word up in a dictionary you will get an answer involving anti-social and perhaps criminal behaviour, lack of conscience and a tendency not to form real relationships with people.... (read more)

Yes, it's very popular. Japanese people began to play Association football in the late 19th century; probably from about 1870, when a group of foreign residents (mainly British) started introducing their hosts to the game. Whether or not this is true,... (read more)

As far as crime and such dangers go, Japan is one of the safest countries you can visit. You may be concerned about the Fukushima nuclear accident of 2011, and whether the radiation levels in Japan are still too high. After the disaster, the area around... (read more)

If you look at the animal kingdom as a whole, it tends to be the simplest invertebrate creatures that live longest. There are types of coral, for instance, which have lived for well over 4000 years, and other creatures such as sponges can live for 2000... (read more)

The exact number isn't known to the general public yet. The number always varies slightly between one Olympic year and the next, as diffferent numbers of medals are awarded within events (for example, boxing, where the number of categories can change)... (read more)

No, in the UK there is no tax deduction on student loan repayments or even on the interest. In the US and some other countries this is possible, but in the UK you have to pay back the full amount. However, the rate of interest that you pay is kept lower... (read more)

Personal recommendation is always best. Start with any friends or family who have tennis lessons and ask them about how good the coach is, and the club or organisation generally. If you don't know anyone who has tennis lessons, you can do some research.... (read more)

Some tattoos, usually those done privately or with traditional materials, can use a form of pen ink. They can also use natural materials such as soot, earth or even blood. However, most commercial tattoos use different kinds of ink to those used in a... (read more)

It depends on the age of the child, as most social networking sites, such as Facebook, Bebo etc, don't allow anyone under 13 to join. If you have a 13 year old who would like to join, for example, Facebook, you should have a talk with him or her about... (read more)

One unusual feature of the Hanshin Expressway, a network of elevated roads which links the cities of Kyota, Osaka and Kobe, is the way it was constructed. The Expressway opened in 1962, and it was specially designed to resist earthquakes. Japanese architecture... (read more)

There is a lot of argument about this. So many of the most famous tennis professionals seem to have started playing when they were tiny children - as young as 3 or 4 years old in some cases - but does that necessarily mean that it's a good idea for everyone... (read more)