Looks like we dodged the end of the world one more time this weekend, so you'll need some stuff to keep you occupied until it finally happens 
Happy invoicing!
- The new science of death: ‘There’s something happening in the brain that makes no sense.’ - ”New research into the dying brain suggests the line between life and death may be less distinct than previously thought.” Still there, though
- The Revolution of Environmental DNA - Six part series on new techniques for studying life on Earth: ”The possibilities are far-ranging: Scientists are using eDNA to identify specific species of animals or microbes in an ecosystem that may have otherwise remained undetected. And they are also using the tool to cast a wider net, by analyzing all of the genetic material in a particular scoop of water or mud or puff of air… But how exactly does eDNA work, and how does it differ from older sampling techniques? Who’s using eDNA and why? And, crucially, what are its key promises and perils? If eDNA can be used to locate an animal, what happens when it can locate humans?”
- MozART group - How to impress a woman - HT to WTFH for this bit of classical musical comedy: ”In 1995 the MozART group began to travel the world. Now, after more than 20 years, 50 countries, 4 continents, 2.000 flights, over 300 incredibly complicated issues to get the cello with a valid (!) ticket on board of an aircraft, 1 million driven miles, surprisingly just a few lost bags but countless hours spent on airports of this planet, there is a good number of stories the quartet would like to share with the audience.”
- Remembering Bob the elk: what the life and death of a B.C. town’s beloved neighbour can teach us - ”When a Vancouver Island elk was killed by a car, the story unravelled before local journalist Emma Gilchrist like a true-crime mystery, nature edition. Why was Bob living here in the first place and how many more elk will die on our roads before something changes?” From what I've heard of elk collisions, the really strange thing is that the car was able to drive away
- The LLMentalist Effect: how chat-based Large Language Models replicate the mechanisms of a psychic’s con - ”I now believe that there is even less intelligence and reasoning in these LLMs than I thought before… The intelligence illusion seems to be based on the same mechanism as that of a psychic’s con, often called cold reading. It looks like an accidental automation of the same basic tactic.” That fancy chatbot may be more Derren Brown than Albert Einstein - not that there's anything wrong with Derren Brown
- The Gardens of Nutwood: Parks and Gardens in the Rupert Annuals - AN exploration of the landscaping style seen in the long-running stories: ”Rupert lives in the village of Nutwood, surrounded by friends and family, and has regular adventures in the surrounding countryside… This first post in an occasional series reflects the findings of some research into the number and nature of gardens in and around Nutwood, as presented in annuals from ‘the long 1940s’ (1938, and 1942-1950).” This scene at the Professor's house is “a large maze in the form of a parterre between the formal terrace and woodland, ornamented with a sundial, small and large ponds, and a summerhouse.”
- Together in electric dreams: The poetic beauty of pylons - Lucy Kenningham meets pylon enthusiasts: ”People like me can take the train from Euston to Glasgow and marvel at the pretty pylons snaking their way across the landscape, a line of monoliths carrying their electric cargo beneath their arms. It makes sense that those who dislike pylons typically live nearer to them.” Sad news though: Flash Bristow, who founded the Pylon Appreciation Society long ago, passed away in 2020
- London's Oldest Street Signs - ”I’ve written about some of the most curious London street names before… but over the years of walking and exploring London I’ve also spotted some incredibly old street signs, some dating back to the 17th century!” This is… well, it says where it is
- She Built a Microcomputer Empire From Her Suburban Home - The story of Lore Hart, founder of Vector Graphic who were big in the early days of micros: ”An investor approaches the woman and asks for a coffee refill from the table behind her. Her train of thought broken, she looks up at him. For a second, she holds his gaze. Then she turns and pours him a coffee. A few minutes later, the host announces that the CEO is ready to speak… ‘My name is Lore Harp, CEO and founder of Vector Graphic,’ she says, her accent a mix of German and Californian. She locks eyes with the investor who asked her to refill his cup. ‘Sir, do you need me to get you any more coffee?’”
- M&S Archive - Marks and Sparks are following Sainsbury’s example (featured here a year or more ago) and putting their archive online: ”The Digital Archive lets you get deeper than our Archive Catalogue (which describes items but doesn’t provide direct access to digital formats), within the Digital Archive you can access the digital assets themselves.” These hot fashion items are from the Spring-Summer collection of 1971
Happy invoicing!
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