Number crunch

98 billion is the mass, in tonnes, of one square kilometre of the United Kingdom, say geologists who have weighed up Europe's countries by evaluating the thickness of Earth's crust in different regions.

112 billion is the mass of the same area of Austria, which, thanks largely to the Alps, is Europe's densest country.

78.4 billion is the corresponding figure for Germany, which, despite being an economic heavyweight, is less well endowed in the geological stakes.

Scorecard

Eagle-eyed diagnosis

An unnamed Irish surgeon has been congratulated for spotting a tumour in government minister Conor Lenihan's cheek while watching him on television. He called Lenihan's office to urge him to see a specialist; the tumour has now been successfully removed.

Negative calories

Credit: COCA-COLA

Coca-Cola and Nestlé are being sued by advocacy group the Center for Science in the Public Interest over claims that Enviga, the 'negative-calorie' drink, can help people lose weight by speeding up their metabolism.

Wordwatch

Google bombing

The trick used by webmasters to code links into their websites in sufficient numbers to manipulate search engines, ensuring, for example, that the term 'miserable failure' links to George W. Bush's biography. Google has pledged to tackle the practice, leading to accusations that it is censoring its results.

On the record

All food for purchase in the UK is 110% safe.

Nigel Horrox, president of the British Veterinary Poultry Association, seems to think that the arrival of the H5N1 flu virus at a British turkey farm has boosted food quality to an unprecedented degree.

Sources: Ananova Science, The Guardian, CSPI, UPI.com, Science Media Centre