13th Dec

1) From the marvellous  Information is Beautiful – Novels everyone should read – a consensus cloud from top book lists and prizes

…and the same, but  for Non-Fiction books.

2) Instagram gets to 300 million users worldwide and  is now bigger than Twitter.

3) Interesting read from NYT –  Why Are Some Cultures More Individualistic Than Others?

4) The 10 Most Viewed 3D Printed Products in November ( from Shapeways ).

5) Beautiful abandoned places.

6) How St Nicholas became Santa Claus – one version is a much more gruesome story than you’d imagine.

7) Love this – Walking While Working.  Here is a company who took their office on the road ( and across a park and up a hill…. ).

8) BBC Five Live had a very engaging interview with James Hadfield –  The Singing Astronaut this week ; which also involved a Q&A with a group of Manchester school kids . Inspirational stuff and especially recommended for all those of younger years , who have not yet decided  what path to take in life.

9) 2014 was the ‘Year of the Drone’. Here are some drone highlights – both legal and illegal aerial shots.

10) Fabulous short, futuristic space exploration video from Erik Wernquist – Wanderers. A quote is included from Moby Dick ‘I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote, I love to sail forbidden seas’.

And here, some extra weekend reads…..

There Are At Least 5.25 Trillion Pieces of Plastic in the Ocean.

I won’t be trying this one when I go skiing next year – Voted by Powder magazine :  The Skiing Line Of The Year.

Not a good time to take a helicopter sightseeing tour –  Spectacular pictures show a sea of dense clouds filling the Grand Canyon , due to a rare weather system.

Two short videos : A player from Ice Hockey team the New York Rangers, wins game  after having part of his left ear reattached.

Uncanny, from Metro :  Sex dolls look incredibly lifelike in this seductive fashion shoot.