1. The popularity of Channel Five‘s Brain Teaser programme, which entices at least a third of its audience to call in, is the talk of the industry.

2. "My first thought," says county chief clerk Daniel Krueger, "was ‘Oh, crap‘." Hats off to Tory Trafford council in Manchester, 16 of whose most senior members, including council leader Susan Williams, recently spent 3,200 on a night at the luxury Castle Green Hotel in Kendal (room service, two gyms, pool, steam room, spa) in order to discuss that perennial municipal brain–teaser:"how to maintain services on a tight budget". We‘re a little perturbed, though, that no one seems to be paying much attention to leading Russian astronomer Nikolai Fedorovsky, who according to Pravda Online has spotted a giant comet, flying at top speed and bound – obviously – for planet Earth.

3. Killer questions "How would you design a spice rack for a blind person?" "What is the temperature when it‘s twice as cold as zero degrees?" "If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would play the leading role?" Such questions may not seem relevant, but according to John Kador, author of eight best–selling books on interviewing, including "How to Ace the Brain Teaser Interview," they show your skills in logic, probability and business estimation and reveal a lot about your creativity and ability to think on your feet.