This week two interesting science factoids …

With the summer holidays coming up, this week’s cartoon is for all those with children to entertain …

The Earworm (Halicocephalus strepitus) is a microscopic parasite most commonly found in the inner ear of human beings. These creatures have long been assumed benign due to their symbiotic relationship with nearly all human people and a lack of evidence pointing to their presence as a source of harm. Several scientists attempted to narrow down exactly what earworms subsist on and why our humble ear canals provide such a hospitable environment. Their now-classified research went largely unfinished as the full 8 person team vanished after a few months of experimentation; this wasn’t uncommon for scientists in the 19th century. Though there are few discernible benefits to being an earworm host, there are no demonstrable negative effects either. To keep it that way, make sure you nourish your earworm with high quality repetition. Childhood commercial jingles and any music to which you can recall fewer than 5 consecutive words of lyrics are ideal, but playground songs and modern electronic pop are great alternatives. Odd words and nonsense phrases (eg. tuberous phalange, cantankerous, spoon plumage, serving Council of Nicaea realness) are a sign that your earworms are healthy but restless. Don’t let them become restless.
From: Figueroa’s Findings on the Habits of Everyday Monsters at

Another selection of oddities and amusements from the catalogue of our local auction house. Nothing especially outrageous in this selection, just the variety of old toot and the assemblages to make lots which strain the mental equilibrium.
A mixed lot including military badges, penknives, rulers, thimbles, old tine, hip flasks, pill boxes, pocket watch, a collection of old pipes, fossil stones, etc.
A Concorde pendant with articulated nose, stamped silver, on a fine chain …
And there’s nothing quite like having an articulated nose!
A collection of polished agates for fob seals, Dik Dik horns, the claw of a bird of prey, old ivory pieces, etc.
A cased set of silver Dickensian character cherry sticks, Birmingham 1973 …
Souvenir ware — a cruet in the shape of a plane, Barry Islands gardens, a pair of bisque figurines of a girl and a boy playing crochet [sic], a figure of a gentleman playing the bagpipes, and a smaller figure of an 18th century gent.
A model of a hand-painted gypsy caravan pulled by a shire horse, Carmen England, a further model carriage decanter set with five shot glasses and decanter, again pulled by a shire horse, two further shire horses and two model drays, brassware including iron on trivet, two model dolphins, a pair of vases, copper and brass bugle, three football trophies and a cased brass cruet on tray.
All in the best possible taste!
A good quantity of ceramic piggy banks and figurines of pigs including a very large floral decorated piggy, and a similar smaller, treacle glazed, white glazed, black glazed, Masons, etc., plus floral decorated piggy figurines.
Two oriental inlaid three-legged tables and a tooled leather pouffe decorated with Egyptian scenes
Why do I find the idea of a tooled leather pouffe quite disturbing?
‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with they might’, a 19th century sampler dated 1848 by Catherine Davies, and a 1930s embroidery in an oval frame of a lady in a crinoline
Clearly the Victorians hadn’t thought about that verse!
An oak-framed striking mantel clock, 4 cameras incl. Halena Anastigmat 3.5, a Minolta Beirette Junior 2, and a Coronet, also 17 teapots, incl. Wade antique shop, Sadler Carousel, and Coronation Street’s ‘Rover’s Return’
The teapots, my dear. The teapots!
A brass bugle and a pair of large brass ducks
A Continental Art Nouveau porcelain fish dish, a French black silk opera hat and a wig with two card boxes
Someone please explain to me the significance of attaching cardboard boxes to one’s wig.
And next everything one needs to be murder mystery writer …
A Mercedes portable typewriter in lime green plastic, two tennis racquets and two ladies hats
A large Oriental horn intricately carved and pierced with pine and other motifs
The mind boggles a bit over this one too!
The cured hide of a buffalo, from Pakistan, c.1864
A brass Tibetan prayer bowl on wooden stand, a grass skirt and an African carved wood game.
Talk about mixing ones ethnicities!

Can’t resist sharing this one …