h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was listening to radio 4 yesterday and they were airing a short piece on SHAPES and their relvance to mathematics. Now I'm not very good at math (my Mum's better but then she learnt whilst playing darts!!), but I found these little titbits interesting.

Yesterday's was the shape of a bagel, apparently it's known as a taurus (I presume it's the correct spelling?) and is one of the most useful and fundemental shapes that the mathematic community uses in modern times. There's a whole branch dedicated to it (but I can't for the life of me remeber what it's called).

Anyway it turns out that the new GCHQ building is built like a bagel, with a 'hole' in the middle, they've made it into a garden so that staff can work outside as it's still a secure area!

I suppose it is better to go round and round in circles instead of hitting dead ends!

It means that no one is very far away from a window and can therefore breath proper fresh air whenever they want, which I personally believe is a good thing, but it also seams to be more condusive to people actually talking to each other.

I presume that they conducted a TEMPEST risk assesment when they created the building - so maybe it's the first TEMPEST protected bagel in the world?

Now I understand what those very non descript grey vans were doing parked outside the security fences surrounding Northwood in 1985 and that throwing my woolley pulley over the 'phone was of no use whatsoever.
Mobile 'phones must be an incredible headache nowadays!

Not look at the site for a while - thanks for the posting - I was going to unsubscribe myself.

I was having a good day when I wrote this