Mu mum says that if I read under the bedclothes using a torch (flashlight) I will damage my eyesight. I told her it's an urban myth, but am I right?

Ben Renton (aged 11), Leicester, UK

Is this kind of "general chat" question allowed? If it is then I'll start the ball rolling. I'm thinking of books of the Popular Science genre that seems to have sprung up in the last 20-plus years, rather than specialist or text-book type publications.

I recommend About Time by Paul Davies. An absolutely fascinating read and one of those rare books on the subject of time, relativity, physics and space that will hold your attention from cover to cover even if you're not a physicist or mathematician.

When we read a thriller we get excited with the protagonist, or nervous. If they are in a life-threatening situation we are scared. But surely our rational brain should kick in and tell us that a first-person protagonist rarely dies, especially if there is a lot of the book left to read. So why do we still react emotionally?