[Isaac Newton] was obsessed with alchemy. He spent hours copying alchemical recipes and trying to replicate them in his laboratory. He believed that the Bible contained numerological codes. The truth is that Newton was very much a product of his time.

Carbonic acid is disengaged, and rises viewlessly into the atmosphere; nitrogen rushes into combination with hydrogen, and sends up invisible volumes of ammoniacal gas; […]

Mr. Darwin saw a dressed-up wooden spoon become lunatically possessed, and dance in the hands of the women holding it.

And although they were pushed harder than even Lennon might have expected on a night of galeforce winds, they clung on to the lead Ledley gave them for all they were worth until their rivals had blown themselves out and surrendered top spot.