Your Interesting Links

And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more

Yes, we are doing well at present for interesting links to items you might have missed the first time round. Here is the latest instalment, and again I promise you nothing too hard by way of science!
What is it that makes wet dogs smell so? Here’s a brief look at some of the chemistry.

There are definite advantages to being female, and if you’re a cat one of them is that you can have splotchy fur.
Most moths can only make noise by rubbing their legs or wings together, but the Death’s-Head Hawkmoth has a built-in flute. They also eat honey.

We all know that seeds can last a long time just by observing what happens when you turn over an undisturbed piece of ground. But how long can seeds really survive?
And from seeds we’re now on to food … We’re often told that western society eats too much meat and we should cut back. While this would undoubtedly be good for our health, can meat ever be eco-friendly?
Have you ever stopped to think about what cooking oil you use? Well some scientists have and the results may surprise you.
Scotch eggs originated in Scotland, didn’t they? Except they probably didn’t.
Who has ever had hiccups after a meal? Or maybe some other time? But why do we hiccup?
So now to some different aspects of lifestyle. What (if any) are the scientifically proven benefits of yoga? Julia Belluz looks at all the evidence.
I wonder how many of you already know these 9 facts about breasts? No, I didn’t!
How to improve your work-life balance by doing one simple thing? You can’t? Oh yes you can! It sometimes takes a bit of discipline, but I did it many years ago and it worked for me.
Next a couple (more) items — here and here — on why family nudity is actually healthy for kids. Girls especially are more likely to grow up with a good self-body image.
And now a quick shuffle across to the history room where first we find a piece on a little known relic of early 17th century London: the York House Water Gate.
Opening-of-St-Katharines-1828

Slightly later, but still on the Thames, a piece on the creation of the St Katharine Docks and how they changed the working of the docks.
And finally, from boats to trains. Here’s the low-down on the ghost trains of Britain.