Ask Roger Highfield transcript
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| This event took place Tuesday 18th December, 2001 |
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Roger Highfield
Author of 'Can Reindeer Fly?', Roger Highfield, joined us for a Live Chat and answered your questions about all your Christmas theories and what his inspiration was for the book ...
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Question from Bernard: Why is it that meat on turkey legs is a different colour to the rest of the bird?
Roger Highfield: The reason is due to a protein called myoglobin. Myoglobin retains oxygen brought by blood until muscles need it and is red when oxygenated. Turkeys do a great deal of standing around, but little, if any, flying so their breast muscle is white, and their leg muscles are dark.
Question from Stella: Hi Roger! Do you think it is more important to study sciences or humanities subjects?
Roger Highfield: I think it's more important to study the sciences, because science is the predominant force on culture today.
Question from Angela Davie: What inspired you to write 'Can Reindeer Fly'?
Roger Highfield: I've been writing features on the science of Christmas. I joined the Daily Telegraph in 1986, and a few years ago I thought there was an amazing amount of material - easily enough for a book. That's how Can Reindeers Fly? was born.
Question from Angela Davie: Have you any done any scientific studies to prove whether there is such a being as Santa, not forgetting and his elves?
Roger Highfield: (laughs). From personal experience, that is I get presents every Christmas, I'm convinced.
Question from Thomas Wood: Apart from science - what other subjects did you enjoy at school?
Roger Highfield: I enjoyed English Literature the most. I also liked clay modeling! I'm not sure you can call the book literature, and I did clay modeling 20 years ago so alas I haven't followed up on those!
Question from Scott: Are crackers a British invention or from foreign parts?
Roger Highfield: I think they are, and they were invented by someone called Tom Smith. I don't know that much about it at the moment - but that's a whole other book!
Question from Fred: Do you enjoy reading books yourself? If so, what titles would you put in your shopping cart?
Roger Highfield: I really enjoyed Supercan, by J.G. Ballard and I now want to read more by Ballard.
Question from William Sharp: What's your favourite Christmas tradition and why?
Roger Highfield: Gosh! I think the giving, and much more, the receiving of presents - for obvious reasons!
Question from Jenny: What other books have you written apart from Science of Christmas?
Roger Highfield: I've written three other books .... The Arrow of Time and Frontiers of Complexity - with an old friend, Peter Coveney and the Private Lives of Albert Einstein, with another old friend from University, Paul Carter. I think the Arrow of Time and the Christmas book are the best of all the books I've written.
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