It may look impressive, but formulae for calculating things like the perfect horror movie are usually thinly veiled PR. Photograph: PA/PR
THE GUARDIAN: The British Science Festival kicks off tomorrow at the University of Surrey and on Sunday I will be giving a lecture discussing those quirky equations that seem to appear in the press every few weeks purporting to describe everyday phenomena.
For example, you may remember the equations that supposedly calculated the perfect TV sitcom, the best day of the year, or the likelihood of scoring from a penalty. You can find lots more documented at the blog Apathy Sketchpad.
