Yeah, I’m two days ahead of myself, but I suspect I’ll be busy, so I’m sharing now. I hope everyone makes it into 2010 relatively safely!

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Allow the lovely ladies of the LA Derby Dolls to explain basic principles of electricity to you, accompanied by a catchy little tune. Mmmm, I love science.

The Electrical Derby [io9.com]

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For years, it has been thought that Man alone (and okay, maybe a few birds/simians/mammals) used tools. Essentially though, creatures with spines. Alas, tentacled doom has revealed itself anew with the news that a certain species of octopus has been found to carry around halved coconut shells which it then uses as body armour when it feels threatened. From New Scientist:

When the octopuses come across these on the seabed, they drape their bodies over and around the shells, hollow-side up, leaving their eight arms dangling over the edges.

The octopuses then lift the shells by making their arms rigid, before tiptoeing away in a manoeuvre Finn calls stilt-walking.

When the octopuses feel threatened, they flip the half shells over themselves and hide. Some even use two shells to create a more spacious shelter with an opening through which they can keep a lookout.

Well, you know what this means. First, they build protection, then the weapons. Next thing you know, Ol’ Uncle Cthulhu has an army where every soldier has us at a two-to-one limb disadvantage. I dunno about you, but I’m going to go source some octopus-spray…

Octopus Uses Coconut Shells as Portable Armor [io9.com, via New Scientist]

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This is just too cute for words. I’m going to miss this Doctor, very much.

Doctor Who BBC One Christmas 2009 Main Ident [YouTube]

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