27 April 2007: Scientists using their heads

Life is full of nagging questions: Is there a God? Is there life on other planets? And why does the foam on a pint of lager disappear faster than the head on a pint of Guinness?

Well, according to scientists, the Great Beer Riddle, at least, may be solved. Writing in the prestigious British science journal Nature, two scientists say they have devised a mathematical equation to describe beer froth.

Apparently, and I quote: "Beer foam is a microstructure with complex interfaces. The walls of these bubbles move as a result of surface tension, and the speed at which they move is related to the curvature of the bubbles."

SaintFM believes this will become immediately apparent to you as you drink your beer tonight; and after a few beers you may come up with answers to the other questions too.