Purls

A periodic roundup of a few interesting things..



From a design perspective, what can we learn from nature? A longtime subject of interest, National Geographic recently published a new piece, Biomimetics.

Is a longevity pill just around the corner? Technology Review: Longevity Pill Tested in Humans.

National Geographic chronicles discoveries of strange and bizarre critters in Antarctica. (Men without Hats sing Antarctica.)

Rising commodity prices... Krugman: Deja vu all over again. Soros says a commodity bubble is still in the growth phase as noted at The Big Picture.

None of the standard platinum-iridium cylinders defining the kilogram weigh the same anymore, The International Kilogram Conundrum.

Since plants absorb energy in sunlight, I've often wondered why plants aren't black. What's the point of rejecting green? SciAm: The Color of Plants on Other Worlds.

You know when you hang out with a friend, have a few drinks, take the bus home, have a snack, take a nap and your wife wakes you up because you have a knife sticking out of your back? I hate when that happens! BBC News: Drunk Russian sleeps off knifing.

This Flash game is addicting: Bloxorz