More interesting items you may have missed.
According to George Monbiot it is all very simple: if we can’t change our economic system, our number’s up.
In case you ever wondered, here a brief history of mathematical symbols.

Cats? Well OK, so what was the role of cats in Anglo Saxon England?
And while on cats, let’s have a quick look at the chemistry behind catnip’s effect on cats.
So how on earth do you manufacture a link from cats to the human penis? Oh well, maybe you don’t. Anyway, scientists are getting interested in all those microbes that inhabit our bodies, and one group is now looking at the microbiome of the penis.
So from old jocks to old books … What does cause that smell of new & old books?
OK, so you still need to get the kids interested in science … try the bizarre liquid that sometimes acts like a solid, and which you can make at home.
And from the crazy to the ridiculous (maybe) … here’s a possibly not so serious scientific investigation of mermaids.
And so to the truly astonishing. In Canada a group of swallows have worked out how to open automatic doors.
So yes, insects do sleep. Here are some nice pictures of sleeping jewel wasps.
And onto food … it now seems that the Mediterranean diet effect may all be down to salad and olive oil. Well who would have guessed!
Meanwhile everything you think you know about breakfast is wrong. Well almost everything.
Celery. Aphrodisiac or harbinger of death?
While on health things, here is a piece on the health benefits of sleeping naked. Personally I can’t imagine sleeping comfortably any other way.
OK so we’re on the slippery slope to nowhere, so here’s a brief history of 8 hallucinogens.

And Diamond Geezer tells us 30 things learnt about sex over the last 30 years.
While we’re talking about learning, it seems we learn better if we take handwritten notes and don’t use a laptop. Why do I not find this surprising?
What’s more learning to write by hand means young children also learn to read more easily. Seems it’s something to do with the connectivity in the brain.
OK, so hands. It also seems that the hand you favour shapes your moral space. Which I find kinda weird.
And finally to a couple of historical items. First up the next part in the series on Waterloo Station — this is part 6 on Waterloo’s wildlife.
Tom Shakespeare tries taking a look at what it would be like to take England back to the Dark Ages. I suspect we’d all agree it’d be fairly horrific.
And finally as a piece of lunacy it seems Great Britain has an underwater rugby team. Do what!?!?!?!