I've written before about how difficult it is to get a grip on energy, and understand how much it takes to do different things. Well, you really find out when you try to power a whole house for 24 hours just using cycle power.

Luckily for those of us whose muscles don't  feel up to the task, the BBC's Bang Goes the Theory team has done it for us, and we can watch with awe from the comfort of our sofas (The Human Power Station, Thursday 3 December on BBC One).

Just to give you an idea of the hard work the team of 80 cyclists put in here's a sneak preview:

It took two cyclists just to keep all the family of four's appliances on standby; nine to toast some bread; and 14 to heat up milk in the microwave.

Then figures begin to really scary: 78 cyclists to have a five minute power shower and 30 to boil the kettle. I wonder how many cyclists are needed for me to watch the hour long programme? It makes me long for a cuppa...

Photo by mozzercork

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