Links for 2010-12-13

"Recently, while I was looking for a paper published in Nature in 1903, I happened across a series of advertisements in a supplementary issue of the magazine.  These ads, clearly targeted towards those of a scientific persuasion, immediately fascinated me.  They provide a unique snapshot of not only the science of the time, but also the business of science at the time.  They illustrate what scientific discoveries were new and "hot" in the community, what kinds of equipment were popular enough to become commercial products, and what sort of jobs and services were available.  I thought I'd provide a survey of these advertisements, which probably are a good indication of what scientists at the beginning of the 20th century were hoping to find under the tree at Christmas!"

"You've got precious few days to figure out what to get your family and friends for Xmas, and you're stressed out. You don't want to go to a mall. It's full of Shopping Zombies with poor perspectives on what counts for personal space. In addition, you'll spend too much time making yourself sick wondering if the giftee will like the sparkly thing you've spent a C Note on. You don't want to go to the shipping store, or the post office. More zombies. [...]

Still, you have to finish the shopping. I know. It's really late, and the idea of competing with the Zombie Hoards for an X-Box is terrifying. But you've gotta do the shopping. No, I don't know why. It's one of those weird social contract things. Stop trying to reason your way out of it.

But don't get up. You don't even have to put on pants. Stay right there, and just click the links. You're going to give the most thoughtful gifts, ever, right there, on your couch, in the comfort of your pantslessness."

"I didn't want to have any pictures of myself pregnant but a friend told me how much she regretted not at least having one or two shots because her kids wanted to know what she looked like when she was pregnant with them, so gave in and took a couple of mug-shot style pictures of myself so it was documented.

With that in mind, you may want to capture your pregnancies in a photograph to preserve the wonder of life so I chose a few gems from awkwardfamilyphotos.com for a little inspiration."

"I am conscious that an equal division of property is impracticable, but the consequences of this enormous inequality producing so much misery to the bulk of mankind, legislators cannot invent too many devices for subdividing property, only taking care to let their subdivisions go hand in hand with the natural affections of the human mind. The descent of property of every kind therefore to all the children, or to all the brothers and sisters, or other relations in equal degree, is a politic measure and a practicable one. Another means of silently lessening the inequality of property is to exempt all from taxation below a certain point, and to tax the higher portions or property in geometrical progression as they rise.

Whenever there are in any country uncultivated lands and unemployed poor, it is clear that the laws of property have been so far extended as to violate natural right."