Dr Jiang reckoned that a cold plasma, particularly one rich in oxygen ions (which are notoriously destructive of organic materials), would be enough to do the job of breaking up a biofilm without harming the patient.

ECONOMIST: Using a plasma torch to clean your teeth

My embarrassing appearance in the NYT aside, the article raises an interesting question: do our digital entanglements make breaking up harder?

FORBES: Breaking up in a digital fishbowl, revisited. (Or: How the New York Times filleted me on the front page of the Style section)

Third, breaking up the FSA in the way that the Tories want to do is easier said than done - in that recent reforms have created unified teams within the FSA of those who look after consumer protection and those who are responsible for checking that banks and insurers are lending and investing prudently.

BBC: Tories to outline banking reform