Ten more off-topic items I've found recently

10th day of xmas from Intute via Intute: Social Sciences Blog by Heather Dawson on 23 December
Heather and the team at Intute counted back from Christmas and started with the partridge in the pear tree on 13 December. It's been great fun but this one is the best if you have a vivid imagination!

and through to the PNC christmas price index - how much do the days of xmas really cost!

Deck the Halls via by Maeve on 23 December
Many of the traditional Christmas songs in English contain words or references that have changed in meaning or fallen out of common use.
Maeve covers the meaning and history of words such as: deck, don, doff, gay, troll, yule and, of course, carol.

Leap second to be added to the official world time via Boing Boing by David Pescovitz on 10 December
On December 31, at 23:59:59 UTC, a leap second will be added to the official timekeeping clocks of the world. That's because the timescales of atomic clocks and the earth's rotation aren't perfectly in synch. From Smithsonian:

Earth's rotation is the traditional form of timekeeping. It is what defines a day. However, while we call a day 86,400 seconds, it is really 86,400.02 seconds. All those .02 seconds add up over time. In addition, the earth's rotation is not constant – it has been slightly slowing, and 900 million years ago a day was only 18 of our hours.

Friday fun via Science, Engineering & Technology Blog by Anne on 12 December
Have you ever wondered about the chemistry behind items that you use everyday? Check out these articles from the American Chemical Society's Chemical and Engineering News. Items covered range from instant coffee to nail polish, and fireworks to cement.

Arts & Letters Daily - ideas, criticism, debate on 29 October
Do tales of witchcraft and wizardry, Harry Potter novels, for instance, have a negative effect on children? Richard Dawkins wants to know... more

Light bulb warning sign via Boing Boing by Mark Frauenfelder on 5 December
Found on Next Nature:

19th century people needed some explanation to understand the difference between the regular candlelight and the electrically simulated candlelight. Note the disclaimer at the bottom: "The use of Electricity for lighting is in no way harmful to health, nor does it affect the soundness of sleep."

Smart fabrics make clever (medical) clothing via ICT Results
European researchers have developed a smart fabric that can monitor muscular overload and help prevent repetitive strain injury or RSI. But that is just the beginning. The team is also exploring a pregnancy belt to monitor baby’s heartbeat, clothing to help coach hockey, and shirts that monitor muscle fatigue during training.

Punctuation Game via Daily Writing Tips by Sharon on 25 October
So you think you know your punctuation? Now you can put it to the test. Eats, Shoots and Leaves, reviewed by Maeve in July, has a punctuation game online.
There are to questions on the placement of the apostrophe and comma, and at the end of the game you get a score showing how much of a stickler you are for correct punctuation use.

via Arts & Letters Daily - ideas, criticism, debate on 18 October
Life without my noisy boy. "You can't tell just by looking at us. There isn't even a name for parents who have lost children"... more

via Arts & Letters Daily - ideas, criticism, debate on 16 October
The array of worst-case natural disasters in the new "Climate Change" exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History is downright biblical in character... more

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