When I’ve nothing better to do I run a website that reviews popular science books www.popularscience.co.uk (aside here – new reviewers always wanted: we can’t pay, but you do get free books).

We have a (roughly) monthly newsletter, and on a typical day we get one or two new subscriptions. Yet every now and then something strange happens. We run the occasional competition for everyone who subscribes to the newsletter. There’s one at the moment that finishes on October 8. And yesterday, about a week before it finishes, we suddenly got about 100 new subscriptions.

I can only assume we’ve been listed on one of the competition websites, and in come the signups.

Now I like a good free competition myself, but I can’t be bothered to enter for anything less than a TV or a car. This flood of people is to win a science book.

Don’t get me wrong, I think this is great, and though I know many people who have subscribed will totally ignore the newsletter, I believe that a few will take a look and maybe dip a toe into reading these kind of books.

... but isn’t it amazing how we respond as human beings to rewards, however trivial? When I worked at British Airways, my boss once wanted to reward me instantly for working late – he looked around the office in a panic and eventually gave me a tea bag. Totally worthless. (I didn’t even drink tea at the time.) But it really gave me a lift.

So even science books can be rewarding. There’s a nice thought to start to the week.