The flag that we associate with pirates - the skull and crossbones on a black background, known as the Jolly Roger - was not in fact used often... (read more)

There is a very old saying that you should feed a cold and starve a fever. While there is certainly no need to stuff yourself if you have a cold, it is generally recommended that you eat regular meals. Really, the best foods to eat are those that are... (read more)

The first event in the 2012 games will be football. In fact this will start before the official opening ceremony. The first women's football matches will take place on 25 July, with 8 teams scheduled to play. The first event of all will be the match between... (read more)

The opening ceremony for the 2012 Paralympics will be on 29 August, with the closing on 9 September. The games themselves start on 30 August with cycling, archery and a number of other events - you can see a full schedule here.... (read more)

American economist Dan Johnson has developed a special model for predicting Olympic winners based on the populations of countries and other... (read more)

Hot cross buns have been popular in Christian countries for hundreds of years, especially at Easter because of the Christian story of the Good Friday crucifixion. The cross is thought to give the cakes a special Christian association. However, some historians... (read more)

We may never know for sure what the first ever language sounded like, because of course spoken language is so much older than written and we can't really know what happened before written records. If you look at the writing that we know about, you can... (read more)

To make hot cross buns, you start off in a similar way to making pastry, using the 'rubbing in method' (rubbing butter into flour). In this case,... (read more)

If Legionnaires' disease is diagnosed early it can be treated with antibiotics. The most commonly used antibiotic is called erythromycin, or clarithromycin is also possible. Normally you would take these in tablet or capsule form. in severe cases the... (read more)

Yes, there will be a combination of traditional closing events and special British ones. The ceremony will be held on 12 August and will start with a special musical event entitled 'symphony of British Music' which will involve over 4000 performers and... (read more)

The most recent figures available at the moment are for August 2011. At this time the cheapest petrol in the world could be found in Venezuela where the average price was 2-3p per litre. This was way ahead even of Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil... (read more)

Popcorn itself has been part of the human diet for well over 3,000 years - there is evidence of Native Americans eating it at least as long ago as that. The first popcorn machine... (read more)

The Olympic Stadium is in Strafford, East London and you can see what it looks like here. The nearest Tube station is Stratford Underground station in Station Street, a 13 minute walk from the... (read more)

The prices vary hugely. it depends on what day, what match, type of seat etc, and you should look around as there are different companies offering different prices. If you look on the official... (read more)

The first thing is to apply for a visa. This will probably be a Tourist Visa if you are just going on holiday, though other types are now possible such as the Electronic Travel Authority - if you click here... (read more)

The Post-It was really invented by two men, Spencer Silver and Arthur Fry, but neither of them set out to invent it. In 1970 Spencer Silver was a lab research worker for 3M (the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Commany). As part of his job, he was... (read more)

Most graduates I've known just wanted everyone to buy something to drink and bring it to the party! But of course you will probably want to give something more special and permanent. The typical thing for graduation is to give something personalised... (read more)

You must first of all have a valid passport which does not expire until at least 6 months after your arrival (you need this even if you are just visiting). You will also need to apply for a work permit. Usually you can only get this if you have already... (read more)

If you are planning to work for an employer, rather than going on business, you need to apply for a Z visa (a business visa is F). You will only... (read more)

Yes, Murray has beaten Nadal 5 times altogether (though Nadal has beaten him 13 times, so there isn't much doubt who is the overall winner). The... (read more)