We’re starting the New Year with our monthly collection of links to articles which have caught our eye over the last month. Science-y stuff first — it’s not hard, but it is downhill from there.
Science & Medicine
Scientists have been hard at work over the last couple of years reconstructing the evolutionary history of elves and elf-like creatures. Here’s a summary and here’s the original work. I note, however that they have not included the Common Garden Gnome!
Synaesthesia is a strange affliction where people see words as colours, or hear sounds as smells. Just to make things even more bizarre, here’s a story about a woman who sees the calendar as a hula-hoop.
It has long been supposed that women who live together synchronise their menstrual cycles. Kate Clancy lifts the lid on a total lack of convincing evidence.
Meanwhile at the other end of lady things, it seems that pregnancy causes long-term changes to brain structure. Which could explain a lot!
Sexuality
Some students at Bristol University have made a (very short) film to get girls talking about pubic hair and why the do (or don’t) remove it.
Why do we have orgasms? Apart from the obvious need in men, it is being suggested that orgasm is like a sexual currency — reward, payment and cementing the contract.
Environment
Deep in the woods there are still pagans living in Europe, and they’ve been there a looooong time!
Art & Literature
A rare painting of Henry VIII’s Nonsuch Palace has been acquired by the V&A for the nation and saved from export.
The Madras Literary Society Library is a 200-year-old circulating and contains unknown treasures which are decaying through neglect. Now a group of volunteer members are working on the task of conserving as much of the material as possible.
History
Anyone who has delved into their family history will no doubt have noticed more than a few Christmas Day weddings. Findmypast explains why this was so popular.
London
London Underground’s Piccadilly Line has been struggling recently. London Reconnections explains what’s happened.
Here are 13 things you probably didn’t know about Waterloo Bridge.
So who thought the River Thames was filthy and lifeless? Not so any more as it seems there is a lot move going on under the surface than we think.
Anyone who knows Kensington High Street or Notting Hill Gate areas of London has probably been past The Churchill Arms pub because it is always decked out in cascades of flowers. Here are some other things you didn’t know about the pub. (One day I will stop and have a pint there!)
Lifestyle
This collection wouldn’t be complete without the obligatory piece on nudism, so here’s a piece on improving body confidence by going nude.
Which reminds me … why is it so popularly believed that at Christmas/Winter Solstice/Yule/New Year we should all get naked, drink mead and party like a Pagan?
Here is a collection of life-saving tips which are mostly obvious when you know them!
Shock, Horror, Humour
And finally, the great German Christmas pickled cucumber tradition, Weihnachtsgurke. Rapido, where art thou?
More next month!