links for 2010-12-04


  • The inaugural World Book Night will take place on Saturday, 5 March 2011, two days after World Book Day.

    With the full support of the Publishers Association, the Booksellers Association, the Independent Publishers Guild, the Reading Agency with libraries, World Book Day and the BBC, one million books will be given away by an army of passionate readers to members of the public across the UK and Ireland – and you could be one of them!

  • By tweaking enzymes that prevent chromosome tips from unravelling, researchers have shown age-related tissue degeneration can be reversed in some mice.

    Medical breakthroughs involving mice must be taken with rock-sized grains of salt because, despite their genetic similarity, the rodents aren't humans. The latest findings, published online by the journal Nature on 28 November, are no exception. Nevertheless, they provide the first compelling evidence of ageing's reversal — not just delay — in a high-level organism.

    (tags: ageing)
  • A tent atop a Citroën. Yup. It's exactly why we love the little frogs.
  • The “Chain Rocker” is a very distinctive rocking chair made of recycled bicycle chains and tires. BRC Designs layered these reclaimed materials upon a steel support structure which is, itself, composed of 98% recycled steel. Each one has a decidedly heavy metal-esque look that would appeal to bikers and rockers alike
  • If you’re a grownup who still secretly loves having toys around (don’t worry, you’re not alone), this awesome bowl might be just the way for you to do it without breaking your sophisticated adult facade. Made by designer Dominic Wilcox of Variations on Normal, each War bowl is handmade using model figures from historic battles. The little plastic army men are melted together in random configurations meaning that every bowl is unique.
    (tags: design)
  • If you're planning an excursion into the frozen tundra, learn a few tricks from those who've lived there the longest. The Inuit of Northern Canada have been making temporary shelters out of snow and ice as long as the white stuff has been around.

    An igloo is warmer and more durable than a tent, providing better insulation from the harsh winter elements. Here's a guide to building an Inuit snow house.

    (tags: snow igloo howto)