Tiny Planet

What scientists found when they filled ant tunnels with cement (although why would you think to do that?):

China’s output per head of population is smaller than Albania’s. Except China could probably buy swathes of the planet.

Wooly mammoth DNA decoded. Am I the only one who wants to see this species roam the Earth again?

A gallery of the greatest conspiracy theories.

Prices at Dubai’s Palm developments are down 40% to a paltry $2.7m.

Vive la France (in digital library terms at least).

It seems 21% of Americans can’t find the Pacific Ocean on a map. On the plus side, 94% can find the US.

The fakir who was buried alive for 40 days.

It’s depressing that it’s hard to argue with Jim Kunstler:

Personally, I believe the age of Happy Motoring is over. Many Americans have already bought their last car – they just don’t know it yet.

Can culture change anything? Paulo wants to hear from you.

Apparently we’re related to kangaroos. Now I feel a little guilty about eating this distant cousin of mine in a pie one evening. Tasty, though.

A blast from the Lifehacker archives worth keeping close to hand: manage your online reputation.

Even the Department of the Taoiseach is going without a Christmas party. I guess this is Brian Cowen’s attempt to help save the public finances.

So very tired, but here we go:

A chaffinch map of Scotland: “The work looks deceptively simple, while in fact it is a cleverly multilayered combination of poetry, cartography, ornithology, linguistics, and maybe just a hint of Scottish nationalism”. I love the oddities of the internet.

Strip websites back to basics.

Like ice, penguins, clouds and atmospheric disturbances? Then you’ll love this selection.

I can sympathise with the Transformers. But Pokemon? Super-soakers? C’mon.

And if you haven’t had enough after that, try love, romance and other natural disasters.

Even Times Square is getting climate conscious.

Living in the shadow of past glory is not easy for some Egyptians.

Well that didn’t take long, did it, Blizzard?

Microwave an instant chocolate cake in a mug. Tiny Planet accepts no responsibility for things going wrong or it tasting like crap, though.

People are giving up their pets because of the credit crunch.

Blogger gets 20 years for posting a picture of Burma’s military leader.

Dirt + manure = energy.

Meanwhile, the Maldives is trying to buy land in case the islands are swamped by rising sea levels.

Why would you shock yourself for the sake of good posture?

Spiders are adept at the art of camouflage.

While the world continues to cheer the election of Barack Obama as president of the world’s most powerful democracy, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has been anointed king of the world’s newest, Bhutan.

Apparently you can accidentally steal a car.

Gorillas need surgery too.

Companies are turning to blogging as a way of reporting layoffs, rather than letting them get picked up by the traditional media.

It’s a beard off!

Cleantech is growing in silicon valley.

The Mars lander is guestblogging on Gizmodo

The felines that roam the streets of Abu Dhabi have finally been recognised as a species in their own right: the Arabian Mau. One of these used to sleep on the porch outside my building, pressed up against the glass on humid, sticky nights so as to enjoy the cold air blowing under the door. I still regret not taking photos of the scrawny wee thing and its kitten.

Unfortunately, there is a concerted campaign to cull stray cats in the UAE. Petra Mueller, who named the species (”mau” just means “cat”, as I’m sure you’ve figured out by now),

hopes her discovery will help change attitudes towards the animals in the Middle East.

“Cats in the Arab world are traditionally thought to bring bad luck,”she said.“Unfortunately, a programme has been introduced in the UAE where street cats are trapped and then destroyed.

“I hope that the discovery of this unique breed will boost the identity of cats here and encourage people to buy or adopt them, as they are better suited for the climate.

“These cats are not only the national cats of the UAE but they can also be found all over the Gulf.”