Another in our series of links to articles you may have missed and will wish you hadn’t. In no special order …

Do you, like me, suffer from earworms? Scientists think they’ve found some ways to get rid of them. Which is good ‘cos I’ve had Caravan in my head since before Christmas!

Someone has just discovered that breast milk is amazing stuff, and actually rather important. Well who would have guessed!

Now just how weird is the natural world? Very; especially when you find that fruit bats menstruate like women and have oral sex. A few years back researchers discovered that Australian fruit bats indulged in fellatio. Now apparently they have cunnilingus too. How cool is that?!

What would scientists do without big hospital scanners? They’re now using CT and MRI scans to look at diseases in ancient human remains. Here’s a summary of the findings on eight mummies.

Just to confirm even further that scientists are a strange bunch, here’s the low-down on a few experiments they’ve been running for a lifetime or more.

Did you see al those reports of the huge DDoS war on the internet? Yep, so did I. But was my internet affected? Nope. And neither probably was yours. Turns out that the whole thing was much over-hyped and largely a marketing con trick.

Why do people get upset by technical neologisms? We invent new things, so we have to invent new ways to be able to talk about them. And unlike the French we don’t regulate the language.

First it was the horsemeat scandal/fraud. Now it appears that the fish supply chain is fraudulent too — it appears too widespread to be accidental.

Once in a while you really do get something for nothing. Many of the big names in English Folk Music are coming together to create a single archive and making it available free online.

After around 400 years we have cranes nesting in England again.

So this week the BBC touted some researchers’ new British class calculator which was, I suppose, passingly amusing if only for it’s apparent erroneousness. The Heresy Corner does the demolition job.

Brad Warner, American zen teacher and punk rocker (who generally talks sense) has some brief comments on burqas, hijabs, niqabs and nudity. He admits it’s a bit unstructured so hopefully he’ll develop his ideas.

And finally, you can generally agree Scicurious is going to come up with something interesting. On Friday there was a dissertation on the conformation of male (human) balls and how this was reflected in the sculpture of the ancients. But no-one knows why the anatomy is the way it is, or why some of us don’t conform to the norm.

Another round-up of links to items you may have missed.

Apparently there is now evidence for what we’ve always been told: meditating (or anything like it) for at least 8 weeks is good for you — both the brain and the body.

Just as I always suspected: the horrible Myers-Briggs personality test is at best totally without foundation and at worst a complete con.

More confirmation of our suspicions. Bikini line waxing and shaving increases the risk of infection. One piece from the BBC and another from the Telegraph — same piece of news, slightly different slants.

So just what is my cat thinking? And how might we ever be able to find out?

Scientists have confirmed that there really is only one species of Kraken — that giant squid which is found all around the globe. Yes, this was unexpected and they don’t know why it is so.

Records have been analysed (don’t you love these navel-gazing scientists!) which show that the sound of the March 2011 Fukushima earthquake was detected out in space. Actually that’s quite awesome when you think about it.

Our civilisation is built on a network of networks, so a failure almost anywhere can bring the whole lot tumbling down. Luckily mathematicians are now starting to work out how to design the networks so this doesn’t happen. Sounds like it ain’t too easy though.

Think you’ve got a tough job? Pity the poor bugger who has to project manage building Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. Even as a project manager it makes my brain hurt just reading about it!

Well yes, if you go digging holes anywhere in central London you’re almost bound to dig up bones! Archaeologists working with the Crossrail contract have found what they believe to be a Black Death Plague burial site at Charterhouse Square. Only one?!

Divers have been back to the wreck which produced the Antikythera machine. It looks interesting if there’s the money to excavate it properly.

OK so Catholic priests being arraigned for alleged sexual assault isn’t new. But it is when the said priest admits he’s married. I wonder how many more there are?

Just for all the history geeks out there, here’s a list of some of the (Latin) names the Romans gave their horses.

Finally, I leave you with a WARNING … Wash that salad well, boys and girls, because it seems it is more likely to make you ill than the much-reviled beefburger. Especially beware of the pre-washed, bagged and ready-to-eat stuff the supermarkets peddle.

Our regular round-up of link to stories you may have missed, and will probably be glad you had. 🙂

Now just what are they doing beneath the streets of London? Oh, yes, doing a marathon dig to create the tunnels for Crossrail. Here are some mind-boggling photographs.

Worried recently about getting hit by a meteor? You’re not the only one, ‘cos the little green men need to start worrying too. Apparently next year Mars may take a hit from a comet, or more likely its tail.

In other astronomical news, here’s a piece on how other objects dance around Earth in our orbit round the sun.

Closer to home, apparently British couples argue twice a week about the mess they live in.

Well who would have guessed? Dieting makes you feel guilty not thinner.

And while we’re all feeling aggrieved, here’s a rant about the lack of) science behind the idea of trying to determine someone’s ancestral origins from a simple DNA test, as many direct-to-consumer ancestry companies do.

And here’s one for the thinkers out there. Physicist Sean Carroll considers the relationship between science and morality, with diversions into what science and philosophy actually are and how they aren’t mutually exclusive.

After which we probably need to settle into bed with a good erotic story — if we can find one. Rowan Pelling, former editrice of the Erotic Review, reckons really good sex scenes are hard to find.

Never mind, here’s a story about a visit to Iceland’s infamous Penis Museum. It doesn’t sound all that entertaining really.

Continuing one of our recurrent themes, here’s one girl’s thoughts about whether to shave her pubic garden or not.

Finally we bring you an interactive map of (some of) the vaguely rude place-names of the world.

Yet another in our somewhat irregular (well it is supply dependent) collection of links to items you may have missed. In some sort of random-ish order …

It seems no-one knew how owls manage to rotate their necks through almost 360 degrees. Now they do; it’s all down to some rather bizarre anatomy.

Is there economic opportunity in our current difficulties? A different take on our present predicament.

This seems like old news now, but here are a couple of reports on the “discovery” of the remains of Richard III: one from medievalists.net and a photoset from BBC News.

England is often held up as having some weird and outdated laws, but no longer. Here’s a picture report from the Telegraph of examples from around the world. I’m especially boggled by number 14.

Then again only the English would worry about the intricacies of bubble and squeak!

Over in the Land of the Free there’s been a bit of a brouhaha stirred up by actress Lena Dunham quite unashamedly appearing nude in her new show Girls. It seems that USanians aren’t perturbed specifically be the nudity (oh, yeah?) but by the fact the Dunham does not conform to the toned, tanned and (almost) anorexic look that is always pedalled as being “normal”. She is a regular girl, with normal breasts and decent-sized thighs. The is held up to be disgusting. Anyway here are three pieces of commentary dissecting the objections: How Lena Dunham Breaks the Rules of Naked TV & Why We Love Her For It; What Lena Dunham’s Nudity Says About Us and The Audacity of Lena Dunham

While we’re on the subject of brouhahas, we can’t pass on without a couple of items on the horse meat scandal. Two nicely balanced pieces about the risks and issues: first from GrrlScientist and the second from Occam’s Corner, both in the Guardian.

So here’s the latest idea to keep your marriage on the straight and narrow; write a quarterly (the reports actually say every 4 months) report for each other about a recent disagreement. Seems to me all this is going to do is to highlight the cracks in the plaster and drive a wedge into them. Sceptical? Me?

Another piece of idiocy from the Land of the Free: a report on injuries inflicted during pubic hair grooming and which entail a visit to hospital. In the words of René Artois: The monde biggles.

For some reason which passes my comprehension, London Underground are installing a labyrinth in every tube station. I like labyrinths and mazes, but I am impelled to ask: Why?

Finally, something you won’t find in every London Underground station: a public lavatory. Apparently Brighton council have decided that henceforth their public loos will be “gender neutral”, ie. unisex. And about bloody time, say I; where’s the problem. The French have been at it for years and they don’t seem to have any problem. And many offices are now making their loos unisex. Makes a lot of sense to me. But it’s different, and we don’t like change.

Our irregular round-up of articles you may have missed, and wish you hadn’t.

First off here’s London’s Mayor, Bumbling Boris, from about 10 days ago on snow and winter weather. Actually he makes a lot of sense, which despite his reputation as court jester is not unusual.

Help! My brain is trapped …

An interesting article about the much overlooked third kingdom of life, the Archaea, and their discovery.

It seems, at least from this article, that, as many of us suggested, mental attrition is going to be the biggest fallout from the Fukushima disaster.

So just how do you photograph one of the world’s largest and oldest trees, a Giant Sequoia? And get a stunning result as well. (Click the image for a larger view.)

So you thought I was loopy? Well at least I haven’t collected bread bag tags and organised them into a taxonomy and phylogeny. Methinks someone needs to get out more … or maybe not, ‘cos they’d only by more bread.

So, according to the Chief Inspector of Schools Britain’s brightest pupils are being failed by state schools. That’s so perceptive of him. As with many of the ills in modern British society, I blame Harold Wilson — and that’s something I want to write more about when I have some time.

In another surprise finding scientists have discovered that babies walk better naked than they do in nappies. Who would have thought that a load of towelling (or equivalent) between their legs would have made a difference? Duh!

Next here’s a long but interesting article on our rituals and how they divide into essentially two categories: “doctrinal” (large group & public) and “imagistic” (smaller group & more personal), although both are about gluing society together. But what about those rituals one performs alone? They don’t seem to obviously fit this theory.

Finally a rather sad tale of someone who can no longer live in our multi-ethnic society. I can understand this, especially as it is written about another area of the borough in which I live. But it is sad that it has come to this. Why can we not get our immigrant communities (many of whom are now second or third generation) to integrate better?

Our regular-ish look at things which have interested or amused me, but which you may have missed.

Let’s deal with the medical and scientific items first …

Tamiflu — the wonder drug that kills off ‘flu. Except it doesn’t. Here are five things you should know about it.

Can’t think why anyone would want to make tea from coffee leaves. Until someone decides it has health benefits. Maybe — it seems the jury is still out on the importance of antioxidants.

So what really does happen if you drop a steak from an altitude of 100km without a parachute?

There’s this cunning Japanese way of multiplying big numbers quickly. Mind-bogglingly strange to us westerners, but it does seem to work.

Well who would have guessed? Apparently cats take on their owners’ habits — both good and bad.

So now let’s degenerate into the more secular …

So just why is it that we British are revolted by the idea of eating horse? It doesn’t seem very logical.

There’s been a bit of a kerfuffle this week — at least there would have been if anyone had understood it. The Health Minister, Jeremy Hunt, has decreed that all health records will be shareable throughout the NHS within a year. And about bloody time too! This is the sort of JFDI leadership the NHS needs, especially as it will save a shedload of money. But I spy a large squadron of pigs taking off from Heathrow Airport. The intention may be good, but it won’t happen; neither the government nor the NHS have the first clue about running the massive IT projects this will need; they won’t take advice from industry experts and they won’t pay for quality suppliers. And then there are the wallahs that worry about privacy — how is it more important that no-one knows anything than we get quality healthcare?

Meanwhile Will Self has been staring at The Shard and wondering why we do this to ourselves.

Aerial views of another sort … here are some stunning photographs taken from kites.

Hopefully this may be one up for women’s liberation in sport. Apparently Women’s Cricket wicket-keeper (Sarah Taylor) could be playing for Sussex (men’s) 2nd XI next season. About bloody time too! This should have happened years ago. There is nothing in the laws of cricket which says anything about gender restriction. I threatened to do this at club 3rd XI level some 35 years ago (the wife of one of our players was a good cricketer in her own right) and I got roundly condemned for the very idea. Couldn’t see what the fuss was about then and I still can’t, especially as there have always been mixed hockey games.

Finally, following up on a previous post, last Sunday (13 Jan) saw the annual “No Pants on the Subway” events — not just in London but around the world. The Telegraph has the pictures.

Another in our irregular series of links to articles which interested or amused me, and which might do the same for you. So in no special order …

It seems the Roman shipwreck which produced the amazing Antikythera mechanism may well have many more secrets to reveal. And it may even be two ships. Coverage by USA Today and by Discovery. Incidentally I have yet to see convincing dating evidence of the Antikythera mechanism to prove it isn’t a fake.

It is being suggested that the Vaux Passional (which is in the National Library of Wales) contains a thumnail sketch of Henry VIII as a child. Yes, maybe, with the eye of faith!

Still on things historical, the London Underground is celebrating it’s 150th anniversary this month and as you’d expect there is a plethora of articles. The two which caught my eye were both in the Telegraph: a pictorial history and 150 fascinating Tube facts.

Coming up to date there is an interesting item on Scientific American blogs about plastic money. No, not credit cards, but plastic (or plasticised) banknotes. It seems like the obvious way to go, but as always the UK is being conservative and slow at adopting the idea.

On the medical front (or maybe I mean back?) we’ve probably all heard by now of the new idea of faecal transplants as a method of resolving serious gut infections. But now researchers are trying to take the “ick-factor” out of the idea by manufacturing “pseudo-poo“. Seems obvious and rather less yeuchy as well as allowing better controlled dosages and better protection against side-effect infections.

Finally several people seem to have picked up on some old work suggesting that many common houseplants actually remove nasty chemicals from the air in your home. Choose from quite a long list.

That’s all for now. More anon.

Despite being a holiday period there seem to have been quite a few interesting news stories around in the last week or so. Here are a few you may have missed.

It seems we should be supporting the real Chrsitmas trees as they are especially good at absorbing “greenhouse gasses”.

Here are two amusing and competing theories about the relationship between Santa and his elves.

Next we have an interesting, curious and perfectly serious item about the amazing powers of earthworms to refine rare metals. Very strange.

For astronomy fans it looks as if 2013 might be an interesting year with not one but two bright comets predicted to be visible, even possibly during daylight. Definitely a couple of gigs not to be missed. Watch this space for more details as the year goes on.

Who would have thought that the chilly seas off Scotland would have the world’s largest reef of a rare shellfish.

Are you a werewolf? No, thought not. But there are a very small number of people in the world with a very rare genetic mutation that really do make them look like one.

More research on the causes of earworms, and how to kill them off.

How do you spot randomness? Well first you need to know what it looks like, and it isn’t like you think it is!

What makes chocolate so chocolate-y? An interesting diversion into the key components of chocolate and how it is refined.

And finally a copy of an old “sex manual” attributed to Aristotle, and which was banned in the UK for 200 years, is to be auctioned later this month.

More anon!