AT LAST, SOME USEFUL SCIENCE:

Science solves 'Italian Job' cliffhanger: Ingenious plan for Michael Caine's gang to retrieve stolen gold wins prize from Royal Society of Chemistry (Steve Connor, 23 January 2009, Independent)

It was probably the greatest cliff-hanger in cinema history, leaving fans of The Italian Job wondering how the mobster Charlie Croker could have extricated his gang – and the gold bullion – from a bus hanging precariously over the edge of a mountain road.

The getaway complete, the robbers were celebrating on the road to Switzerland when the bus went into a skid leaving the gold bars at the back end of the vehicle, perfectly balanced against the weight of 10 people at the front, who were unable either to leave the bus or collect the loot.

"Hang on a minute lads – I've got a great idea," says Croker, played by Michael Caine. But before he unfolded his plan, the film ended and viewers were left hypothesising how Croker and his gang could have extracted the stolen gold safely.

Now an IT specialist has come up with an ingenious solution, and won a competition organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry. John Godwin, of Godalming in Surrey, breaks down the task – which must take no longer than 30 minutes – into three steps.