Friday 12 October 2012

10 interesting items with which to start the weekend

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3 Slices 2
via How-To Geek by Asian Angel
This game is an awesome sequel to the original (and quite possibly maddening) 3 Slices. Can you figure out the best ways to cut the blocks and slice your way to victory or will you scream in frustration as you face defeat?
Follow Asian Angel’s walk-through here or take your chances and try it on your own here (not recommended if you value your sanity).
You can view the write up of the original 3 Slices here.

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Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
When Jean-Francois Champollion died, in 1832, the ability to decipher hieroglyphs nearly died with him. He had trained no disciples... more

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Why a Strong Sense of Self Brings Good Mental Health
via Big Think by Orion Jones
In a study of 508 Dutch adolescents, researchers have found that building and clarifying one's personal identity is an important phase in feeling fulfilled as an adult and retaining good mental health.
Read More

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Magic, lies, and deception
via Boing Boing by Maggie Koerth-Baker

iPod Magic - Deceptions from Marco Tempest on Vimeo
Marco Tempest is an illusionist who works with technology, as well as traditional magician’s skills like sleight of hand. Although it’s easier to imagine how you program three iPods to do the things he has them doing in this video, it’s still a neat display of skill. After all, most of us don’t believe that magicians actually make things vanish, anyway. The fun is that most of us don’t know how to do the trick, and we’re impressed when the magician makes it work so smoothly. Same thing is true here, just in a slightly different way.

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Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
What is wealth for? How much is enough? Now that we have achieved abundance, the habits bred into us by capitalism leave us unable to enjoy it properly... more


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Real flying car for sale
via Boing Boing by David Pescovitz
 Paleofuture Files 2012 07 1954-Flying-Car-Sm
This fantastic artifact from the history of the future can be yours for just $1.25 million. An aircraft collector is selling his 1954 Taylor Aerocar N-101D. Designed in 1949, this one of only 5 that were produced. The wings fold forward for driving and according to Aerocar designer Moulton Taylor, quoted during the vehicle’s, er, launch in 1950, it’s easily converted for flying “even by a woman, without soiling her gloves”.
1954 Flying Car for Sale (Smithsonian/Paleofuture)
1954 Aerocar – The Flying Car (Hemmings)

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Pride and prejudice
via The National Archives blog by Jenni Orme
WorldPride 2012 was celebrated in London last week [this was posted on 16 July] and so I thought I’d use my blog today to draw attention to an exciting area of research that is truly uncovering some of the hidden areas within the records.
Continue reading here and discover some of the dreadful things that people got up to – dreadful, that is, according to the law and mores of the times.

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Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
From 1941 and 1944, 750,000 people died in Leningrad. Some left diaries. Has there ever been a comparable combination of malnutrition and eloquence?... more

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The Real Winnie-the-pooh and Christopher Robin, 1926-1928
via Retronaut by Chris

Images: 1-12, 19-20 Marcus Adams; 13-17 Howard Coster
Source: National Portrait Gallery
Here you can find out more about the real Christopher Robin Milne (Wikipedia)
And the rest of Chris’s selection is here

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Queen Victoria with her grandchildren, 1800s
via Retronaut by Chris
My choice is based more on the quality of the photography than on the subject matter!

With Prince Arthur and Princess Margaret of Connaught, April 1886
Source: The Royal Collection / McCord Museum
See the rest of Chris’s selection here

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