From Cocktail Party Physics, via Pharyngula comes another book meme, this one about popular science books. The rules are:

1. Highlight those you’ve read in full
2. Asterisk those you intend to read
3. Add any additional popular science books you think belong on the list
4. Link back to the great pop-sci book project

( Books, with big words in them )

This morning I noticed a trend in my spam folder…

( NSFW )

Very True Mood:  confused

At the end of this post, Neil Gaiman reveals that Taipei airport toilets cater for Daleks. So does Victoria train station in London, as I pointed out four years ago.

Very True Mood:  amused

HLBS have released some new additions to their dinosaur range - mostly smaller critters this time, some (Velociraptor, Ornithomimus, Compsognathus) are replacements for the now OOP older range, others (like the boneheaded chap above) never before done in this scale.

Meanwhile the confusingly similarly named RLBPS (who also stock HLBS in the USA) have added some more figures to their Dazed Miniatures range. Wow, they’ve added pictures between me checking their page this morning and writing this post. Anyway, you can now get a miniature Dodo.

Both sets of releases have been added to the index of 25/28mm Dinosaurs and other prehistoric miniatures and I’ve also created a 20mm Dinosaurs and other prehistoric miniatures index, so far just housing David Krentz’s stunning Antediluvia Collection.

Via one of the guest bloggers on Pharyngula comes a link to A Survey of Public Understanding of Evolution.

Go fill it in. I doubt the results will be very surprising - people who ‘believe’ in evolution tend to be better educated, more left wing and less religious than those who don’t. Survey after survey has shown this. What will be interesting to see is the answeres to the first two questions which are a little bit more in depth.

To the best of your understanding, and in your own words, please explain what “evolution” means.

To which my answer was:

The change over time of the genetic makeup of a biological population. Changes are introduced via random mutation and their frequency within the population is determined by factors including natural and sexual selection.

Not a perfect answer but I think it contains the essentials.

Very True Mood:  pensive

A few weeks ago SFX published a SF and Fantasy Books Special which contained a top 100 Favourite SF and Fantasy authors of all time decided by popular vote. The list shows the perils of popular votes… But lets turn it into a meme anyway.

( Meme rules and a big list of authors )

‘Chinese Friends’ - Ben Dalby

snapesbabe pointed out that the Herts and Essex Observer have a poll on their home page to find who was the best Prime Minister.

Rather suspiciously Harold Saxon is in the lead.

But even more suspiciously there’s no option for Harry Perkins. Right wing revisionism at work.

Very True Mood:  chipper

Broncosaurus Rex RPG from eBay, @ £8.58

Renegade Legion Interceptor from eBay, @ £5.49

2 packs of Star Wars Legacy of the Force collectible miniatures from Forbidden Planet, @ £9.99 each

Total: £34.05