Another round of links to interesting items you may have missed.
Science & Medicine
In a series of three articles an Australian vet looks at why it might better for your pet not to be fed twice a day from a bowl.
Why do some guys with dark (or blonde) hair have ginger beards?
Sexuality
OK, so just why do women fake orgasms? The cynical inner me says it’s the same reason they wear make-up: vanity.
So you don’t want to have children? That’s fine. Not wanting kids is entirely normal and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Environment
An ancient Chinese ginkgo tree drops an ocean of golden leaves. Some gorgeous photographs.

And more stunning photography, this time of some city-dwelling leopards highlighting just what amazing urban wildlife is out there.
Social Sciences & Business
Who said meditation was a con or a waste of time? Not when it transforms one of San Francisco’s toughest schools it isn’t.
OK, so what do you reckon is the best department store in London? Londonist investigates and you might be surprised at the answer.
And here’s another rather surprising thing … What is the single best interview question you can ask? Certainly some food for thought for those of us who have to hire staff.
Leading on from that here’s an interesting piece about how we make big decisions (indeed all decisions; we just don’t notice so much with the small ones).
How good at you at influencing people and getting them to do what you want? Here are some psychological tricks you can use.
Art & Literature

So is this picture (above) really a Leonardo worth £100 million or a forgery? A convicted forger says he did it but the experts think it is the real thing. Here are two reports, one from the Daily Mail the other from the Guardian. Whichever it is I don’t agree with the Guardian reporter’s thesis and I would have thought a few basic scientific tests should prove if it is definitely forged.
Richard Branson is worried about the rise of online messaging and wants to bring back the pen so we can all write “thank you” letters.
History
Next year the British Museum is promising us another blockbuster exhibition: Sunken cities: Egypt’s lost worlds. The Independent fills in some background.
And talking of Egypt, back before WWI there was a proposal to build a pyramid in Hyde Park. IanVisits takes a look.
Shock, Horror, Humour
IanVisits (again) has found a awesome rubber-band powered steam train.
[NSFW] And finally at the bottom of the barrel we bring you a Soviet erotic alphabet picture book from 1931.