The Appliance Of Science

I have a new favorite detective drama - it's called Numb3rs (yes, in case you're not familiar with it, that is not a typo - it really is its name). Perhaps it's because I've never really got much into math, it's a real eye-opener to realize that all those equations have a useful purpose, let alone that they can be so entertaining, too.

One recent episode where equations were being used to plot the whereabouts of a killer had a sub-plot involving using science to establish where a pool of water on the floor was actually coming from. Till then it had been assumed that either rainwater was coming through a damaged roof, or else there was a leak in a water pipe somewhere in the wall.

Using ink to track the way the water flowed made it easy to see the direction it was actually arriving from, which was nowhere near any of the places anyone had thought of. The leaking pipe was actually beneath the floorboards.

It's a shame no-one had taught that technique to the plumber who recently took the best part of an hour to mend what he insisted was the area of pipe in our front hallway that a leak above his head was coming from.

If he'd sounded less patronizing about it I might have had more sympathy when he found out his mistake the hard way - by standing underneath the real one when the water was turned on.

Yes, science is a wonderful thing...