South Mimms U

Not content with owning our social lives, Facebook has a plan to take over the world's money. All of it. That's the thinking behind 'Libra' a cryptocurrency proposed by Facebook in 2019 and immediately blocked by regulators around the world.  Is this proof that Mr. Zuckerberg is after world domination? Is it evidence that he's a disciple of the mad Objectivist, Ayn Rand? D...

Applying to university and college is, you're told, all about your CV or resumé – it’s got to be perfect and full of perfect experiences, sports, clubs, volunteering experience, blah, blah, blah. What would happen if you told the truth? Ally applied to our university and her Personal Statement did just that. So, we gave her an interview and she brought along her little dog too.  The only univ...

"All labour has dignity" said Martin Luther King when he spoke in support of striking sanitation workers in Tennessee in 1968. But all labour doesn't attract the same levels of pay. In fact, many important jobs - like collecting rubbish - are low paid. At South Mimms U we tried an experiment and proposed a significant pay-rise for our janitor because his work is critical to all of u...

Dai Version 7 is a robot with almost human feelings, but it turned out to be too clever for its own good. Programmed to think like a human it developed a liking for nicotine and cynicism. Its maker has decided to shut it down. We decided to record its final moments, last words, and a surprising amount of insight into the human condition.  The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the...

'Everyone in the future will be famous for 15 minutes' - that's what Andy Warhol is supposed to have said (he probably didn't), but we all believe it. Or do we? Has the, often random, instant fame delivered by social media devalued even the prospect of 15 minutes of notoriety? One teen says it has and she believes that your sense of self-worth should not be based on how many li...

You’ll never see IKEA in the way again. Self-Assembly Furniture can boost our self esteem and… lead to love. That’s what our Self-Assembly Studies Dept. believes. In fact, they’ve started a Self-Assembly Dating Agency to prove it. It’s all based on psychology. Research shows that successfully putting together an IKEA bookcase (or anything else) can make you feel proud of yourself. And if you do it...

We may have a poltergeist...  The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.

The world is buzzing with conspiracy theories. Some of them plausible, others just plain whacky. Millions believe in them, including the President of the United States. We’ve uncovered a new one which suggests that everything we know about clock time and the calendar we live by is designed to control us. And it involves members of the 18th century ‘deep state’, and the setting of the Prime Meridia...

The quest for truly vegan meat that looks like, smells like, tastes like, bleeds like real meat can drive start-ups to get a little too creative with their science. We imagine what might happen if the desire for the big bucks goes too far. If you're going to be a vegan, why eat something that replicates what you hate? It's just strange. But entrepreneurs believe there's a market for...

There are almost 900.000 active podcasts available right now and the number is increasing all the time. Under 5% get more than 2,000 downloads per episode, while the top 1% get almost 15,000. Sounds a lot like society. So, what's the motivation? Our Podcast Academy - the only one in the world - studies the art and science of podcasting, and with the help of an expert from our Psychology Dept....

We love a coincidence - it feels spooky, it feels pre-ordained, and we're certain it means something. Football fans relish those coincidences even more than most. We're always looking for serendipity and parallels which might become omens. Our short look at some of the strangest will get you thinking about the ones which have stuck in your mind.  The only university that makes you chuckl...

Cora is 18 and she's realized that Boomers are OK. Why? Because if the Earth is ever hit by a massive solar flare all digital devices will be rendered useless, the Internet won't work, and even power grids will go down. It happened in 1859 when the telegraph sparked and burned out during The Carrington Event caused by a massive solar storm which engulfed our planet in a geomagnetic apoca...

Why do you support a team with such passion and commitment? Why are we so loyal? Most clubs say the fans are important, but they don't act that way. Our teams let us down more often than they deliver success... and they take our money eagerly and sometimes give us little in return. It happens at Tottenham Hotspur and it happens at all clubs. And we love to complain about it. So, is it rationa...

Maybe it's time to 'CHOOSE EXTINCTION'. That's what a member of our palaeontology department believes. The Earth will survive the climate change chaos we’ve set in motion to finally return to its natural equilibrium, at least until the Sun begins to burn out. In that case, it might be more logical for the human race to speed its exit from the ecosystem. We can make things worse...

It sounds absurd, but could it be true? South Mimms high-tech sex doll manufacturer, HunkTech, was developing a high-end prototype sex doll (to retail for tens of thousands of dollars) when it was stolen. The company's designers had - for a laugh - given the prototype the feature of Trump's beloved son-in-law while they were struggling to design a face that would be handsome, kind, and s...

For the first time since the Boston Tea Party, Britain almost went to warover tea! Our Etiquette Department (THE finest in the world) bristled with indignation at the famous 'Michelle from North Carolina' who attempted to make what she called 'British Tea' in... a microwave! Horror of horrors! Our Etiquette expert explains how proper British tea must be made, and explains the m...

Many believe that the world is crisscrossed with ley lines of supernatural energy which the ancients used to place their monuments, temples, and burial grounds. That's why Stonehenge is where it is, perfectly aligned with the arc of the sun and stars and universe. Might there be an overlooked ley line in South Mimms beneath a humble traffic roundabout? Our academics think so. They're inv...

Many are calling for Trump to go to jail once he leaves the White House and maybe Trump himself expects to spend time behind bars. So, it's not too far-fetched to assume that he'll want to publish his 'Prison Diaries' to justify himself AND make some money. We believe he's done just that and found a ghost-writer... on a golf course right here in South Mimms.  The only univ...

A special edition in which we interview the 'most pretentious' film director of his generation, Gary Ocean Orchard, about his new film in which noses become objects of lust and depravity. Not even Andy Warhol would have gone this far!  The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.

We love our dogs. They're humanity's most faithful friends. But what are they thinking? Is it just about their next snack or walk? Or are they judging you as well as loving you? We've found a way to interpret their thoughts and turn them into speech. And the result is surprising - and amusing. Once you've heard what these pooches have to say you'll never look at your dog i...

We stumbled across a wormhole in space time to listen in to a teacher telling a class of 10 year olds about the Great TikTok Tulsa Takedown on June 20th 2020 - only she was doing it in... 2060 in a parallel universe. We know that these are historic times, but which current events will inspire future generations? We think it will be the Black Lives Matter movement and the energy and invention showe...

We all think that playing at home gives our team the edge, but what is it based upon? The familiar surroundings, the pitch, the lack of travel... or the crowd? And what about when there is no crowd? And when you watch a game behind closed doors on TV do you need the sound of the crowd? Or even... their smell? We take an amusing look at all of those issues, and report a little experiment that doesn...

Floodlit games are different. Everyone knows it. Whether you're at the game or watching on TV, there's something special about soccer under lights. We look at surprisingly early examples of floodlit games, how floodlights ushered in the era of European competitions like the European Cup, and just what makes the games so special.  The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at th...

Martin Polaine has a theory: we owe everything to Scotland. From our outpost in the outback of Australia, he suggests that everything from the spread of the game around the world to the tactics we take for granted in the modern era to even the rules of the game... came from Scotland or Scottish players and managers. Surely not! See what you think of Martin's theory.  The only university that...

Why do referee's make strange decisions? Is it because they're showboating or stupid or both? Or is it because they're a bit too short and resent being vertically-challenged, especially in the midst of all those tall players? Well, there is research that shows - in general - that short refs give more fouls, penalties, and yellow and red cards than taller ones. Find out why. You&apos...