I see in the riots a number of the protestors are wearing cycling helmets, whether because they arrived at the bovver by bicycle and are afraid their comrades in statue-toppling and geri-beating will steal their helmet if left on the bike, or as protection from police batons when the authorities get tired of waiting out the mob. If the latter, they're likely to be disappointed.

But the images suggest a course of research we could follow to put a number on their disappointed, and get some hard figures of use for cyclists: We could note on television how many blows each helmet takes before it splits or, even if it doesn't split, before the rioter is subdued by the impact of the baton transmitted through the helmet. We'll soon discover whether bicycle helmets offer the minimal but real protection most of us can agree on, or the zero protection the Anti-Helmet Zealots insist on.

Andre Jute
A true scientist wastes no opportunity to gather data