My 90-year-old mother-in-law is convinced the three-month drought in Beijing this winter is because of the recent moon landing. Her vigorous defense of this theory is an odd mixture of superstition and science, and it's pretty convincing.

"Why on earth would you want to land on the moon? I am pretty sure it disturbed the heavens so the cloud patterns became unusual. That's why we've had no rain or snow!

"It's just not natural.