Six Things, Volume 156
Books | Boids | Butterflies | Comparisons | Cracking | Landmarkr
Thing 1 – Books
Few things exercise my particular corner of social media quite like a bit of Book Discourse, so the publication of The Guardian’s “100 Best Novels of All Time” list was greeted with an entirely predictable flurry of activity, presumably on the grounds that nothing helps a Saturday pass quickly so much as a pointless online argument. Numbers were shared, comparisons made, judgements passed. And so the long day wore on.
Some, semi-sheepishly, shared the information that they’d read more than 50 of the books on the list; others wore their 7 out of 100 with exaggerated pride. There was outrage, some of it apparently genuine.
I (19 out of 100 but about 30 if you count other books written by authors on the list) facetiously complained that there was no Dick Francis on the list. Others seriously complained that there was no Ballard/Updike/Roth/Mitford/Carter/Jackson/Wodehouse/Pratchett/[insert your own favourite here]. Depending on who you chose to believe, the list is either too snobbish or too populist or too conservative or just NOT RIGHT. Rob Palk (80 out of 100) threw a handful of added spice into the cauldron by sharing this equivalent list from 1898.
The main thing is that people were talking about books, which – to get all Oscar Wilde on you for a second – is better than the alternative.
Whatever your view on the merits of the lists, they make for interesting reading.
Thing 2 – Boids
If you’ve ever wondered about the dynamics of bird flocking, you might gain some pleasure and/or enlightenment from this tool, which offers a pretty convincing simulation of how they work. You can fiddle with the settings to your hearts content, or just look at the pretty patterns.
Thing 3 – Butterflies
I am, as anyone who’s spent even a minute in my company (whether real or virtual) will know, devoted to all things avian.
But I like butterflies too. Perhaps you’re the same. And if you are, you might want to spend a few minutes with this.
All you have to do is vote for your favourite (British) butterfly. It doesn’t matter if you know them all, of course – it’s just a fun way to get you (and perhaps especially any children you might know?) engaged in the subject.
There’s also a quiz to establish which butterfly you are.
Good clean family fun, and kind of important in these times of doodah and wotsit.
Thing 4 – Comparisons
The Pudding can always be relied on to provide stimulating visual stories, and their latest, Comparisons As Predictable As The Sunrise, is no exception. It’s an analysis of 200,000 similes from popular fiction, and it’s as good as… well, I’m sure you can come up with something suitable.
Thing 5 – Cracking
Do you want a YouTube channel running 24/7 and entirely devoted to live-streaming the entire Wallace & Gromit oeuvre?
Of course you do. You’re only human.
Thing 6 – Landmarkr
Geography-based games seem to be all the rage at the moment. Landmarkr, as the name implies, asks you to name the place based on six photographs of landmarks.
Thanks so much for featuring Landmarkr!
Loved Landmarkr