The Human Kite

Thanks to Mike_S for recommending this video, illustrating a remarkable human achievement that is as awe-inspiring as it is useless (or maybe the latter’s just my reaction to the choice of soundtrack). Eighty individuals (did I count that right?) falling as one.

Distraction: why we’re unhappy

I loved this cartoon, one of many used by sociologist Barry Schwartz’s in his talk “The Paradox of Choice”:

The full talk (it gets good from the 9th minute onwards) is at TED.com.

Academic research as chicken

Following in the tradition of the classic research paper “Get Me Off Your F**king Mailing List”, Doug Zonker’s “Chicken Chicken Chicken: Chicken Chicken” includes an abstract, references, sections, figures, equations, footnotes and all the other trappings of a scientific research paper, with arrestingly repetitive content. Not only is it available as a PDF with professional-looking typesetting, but Zonker was invited to present the paper at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, including, hilariously, a question-and-answer session:

Thanks to Steve_Ri for the recommendation.

knit-a-blog to be shown at HTTP, London

Do you remember the knit-a-blog?

It is being shown in gallery in London, called HTTP as part of the Open Source Embroidery show.

The show opens on 16 May and runs until 15 June 2008.

This was a project inspired by an email from RobP at Loughborough, and which went on to tour the world for two years, getting lost by both Sicilian and US postal systems as well as being packed away and forgotten about in a house move. It is gratifying to see it come to a place of public rest.

Martin’s Music: Purify

It’s high time I released another piece of music: not an improvisation, not a remix, but an actual piece of composed-and-painstakingly-produced-by-me-alone music. “Purify” is the most martinpoultery piece of music I’ve done in years (i.e. not trying to be dance music or rock music, just creating the sort of music that’s expressive for me). Listen now:

or download the MP3: Purify by Martin Poulter

This isn’t the final mastered version, so there may be some slight digital crackles that I’ve yet to sort out.

The Forgiveness Project

Thanks Shelly for forwarding the link to The Forgiveness Project. Founded by Anita Roddick, it collects dozens of perspectives on reconciliation and forgiveness, showing how people find the power (or don’t) to forgive terrorism, murder, rape and injustice. Some of the most touching stories deal with the difficulty of self-forgiveness.

Some of the contributors are people who have been in the news (Desmond Tutu, Mariane Pearl, Peter Tatchell, Norman Kember) but in general the strength of the site is in revealing astonishing stories that you wouldn’t otherwise have heard of.

If Martin did horse racing commentary …

Our good DrP is well known for his esteemed reputation as a sporting pundit and here’s what his take on the Sport of Kings might sound like!

… actually I do have some sympathy here, having grown up in Epsom, home of the Derby - I am no fan of horse racing, as let’s face it there would be no-one there if it wasn’t for the betting …

Of course, Mitchell and Webb have already got the football covered DrP stylee!

My Life in Academic Journals

I must be a secret librarian at heart, because I was really tickled by this list of academic journals compiled by author Reto Schneider and revealed in the Mini-AIR newsletter:

• The Birth Gazette
• Gifted Child Quarterly
• Journal of Child Psychotherapy
• Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology News
• Journal of Adolescence
• Journal of Drug Education
• Journal of Marriage and Family
• Journal of Happiness Studies
• Journal of Marital and Family Therapy
• Headache Quarterly
• Journal of Worry Research
• Journal of Divorce & Remarriage
• Healthy Weight Journal
• Ageing International
• Contemporary Gerontology
• Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease
• Archives of Suicide Research
• Journal of Near-Death Studies
• Death Studies

Graphs are fun

Do you despair at the fact that most charts and graphs tell you about things you didn’t want to know in the first place? Then you should pay a visit to graphjam where they tell you about interesting things, such as the chances the human race has of surviving a revolt from the animal kingdom, and the ratio of wobbling to falling of weebles.

It includes this surprisingly good musical piece constructed from Microsoft Windows sounds.

Don’t let your kids on the Internet

SmallBrainField, a tasteless humourist at the best of times, has excelled himself with this warning to all parents (and presumably to all kids too).