Somebody, somewhere, must think I’m in need of spiritual guidance since, over the next seven days at Oxford’s Literary festival, I’ll be introducing seven talks on the subject of religion (either directly or indirectly).

For instance, at noon today I’ll be introducing the fabulously monikered – and fabulous looking – Irving Finkel, who will discuss the fact and fiction surrounding Noah’s Ark (its outboard motor is an urban myth).

Tomorrow I’m introducing Prof Robert Bartlett on Why Can the Dead Do Such Great Things, Wednesday Mike Carson on Inside the Minds of Football’s Leaders (which let’s face it means more to most people than God), Thursday Roger Scruton on The Soul of The World, Friday Matthew Kneale on An Athiest’s History of Belief and to finish on Sunday, Clive Finlayson’s talk on How Water Shaped Human Evolution.

It’s an impressive line-up and by this time next week I should be conversant on all aspects of life, death and the meaning – if any – of it all. But for the moment I remain an ignoramus who’s just happy to perform for free drinks and a warm room.

Saturday kicked off well – albeit not immediately.

The first talk I attended was Secrets in a Dead Fish: The World War I Spying Game by author Melanie King. Suffice to say I was elbowed in the ribs for snoring (just two snores but that I think speaks volumes). However, next up was The Nine Greatest Enigmas in Physics by Prof Jim Al-Khalili which truly saved the day.

And just what is an enigma or paradox? Well consider this – three men book into a hotel. The total cost for three rooms is £30.

However, after the men have paid and signed, the hotel clerk realises he has overcharged his guests by £5.

Unable to work out how to split £5 three ways, he decides to give £1 back to each of the three and pocket £2 for himself.

Which he does, knocking on the door of every man to hand back £1 while keeping £2 for his diligence, except – and it’s a big ‘except’ – the maths doesn’t add up...

You see, if he hands back £1 to each of the three, that means each paid only £9 instead of £10, so their combined outlay is 3x9 which equals 27, and adding on the £2 he slips into his own pocket, that leaves, rather miraculously, £1 missing...

Good isn’t it?

And that was just the start; Prof Al-Khalili’s presentation was brilliant, mind-blowing but best of all, great and unadulterated FUN.

And it’s that one element which, like uranium, makes the entire festival genuinely explosive.

I meant to go yesterday to Jonathan Aitken’s discussion on Margaret Thatcher entitled Power and Personality but as I didn’t want to bring up my free lunch afterwards, I rather maturely declined the invitation...