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If five exabytes is 40,700 years of television and a television has a lifespan of three years (when warranty runs out) that makes 13,567 televisions. Say an average television is 60 cm wide, 45cm tall and 45 cm deep, that makes 1648.4 m cubed of information! How much water is in a swimming pool again and how many Routemaster buses would this be?
Rod, London, UK

Surely 40,700 years after 2002 would be 42702?
Andy, Leeds, UK

Oh dear, Chris of Paris. As you say, if you're going to be pedantic, it helps to be right. The subject of the sentence beginning "One in eight schoolchildren..." is "One", which is most definitely, in fact absolutely, singular. That's why it's called "One"! So the verb HAS to be HAS.
L.S. Klar, Chelmsford, UK

Actually, Chris, Paris, France, Grammarian is correct. Try it with the phrase the other way round: "One schoolchild in eight... "has" or "have"? "Has", of course. The other way round, the grammar still remains the same, so: "One in eight schoolchildren has English as a second language."
Luke L, London, UK

Chris, Paris. France. I think you'll find that "one in eight children HAS..." is correct, as the subject is a hypothetical sample of eight, of which only one has the characteristic being described. Once again again, if you're going to be pedantic, it helps to be right. (Or to choose a topic with less scope for interpretation...)
Tom, Guernsey, CI

. Presumably, they drink to ease liberal and take drugs to ease conservative.
Dave Godfrey, Swindon

. They're pretty worried about the Tories as well!
Kip

I am pleased to see that smokers are doing it to . As we know, the tax helps Gordon no end.
Colin, Thatcham

Oh, get rid of Punorama. Only a handful of schoolkids enter, and the rest of us have to scroll past its sub-Beano humour to get to interesting things.
Herbert G, Leeds

Carol in Portugal - thanks for not going on.
Ben, Reading, UK

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