And Did Those Feet

A deterioration in the last refuge of the Neanderthals may have hastened their extinction. BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Freeze 'condemned Neanderthals'

Chimps have been spotted using spears to hunt other primates - first time this has been observed. this, clearly has implications for the evolutions of humans. Spear-wielding chimps snack on skewered bushbabies - life - 22 February 2007 - New Scientist

Click here to listen to Mike Parker Pearson and colleague talking about the amazing archaeology discoveries at Durrington Walls, near Stonehenge. Intute: Arts and Humanities - Limelight - Neolithic settlement found near Stonehenge

We went for a drink in the Biddle Bros bar on Lower Clapton, Hackney, London - it has been here for 3 years but we have just noticed it - it retains the original shop front which was a buildings merchants, so it does not look like a bar. The rear is a trendy modern skylighted place, and the interior is full of sofas, odd chairs, and retro stuff. Full of youngish trendy hackneyites. Quite nice to see the reuse of the old - perhaps there is hope for the area? Biddles is close by the old Orpans Asylum

My year as a student has ended! I handed in my portfolio of evidence for my Post Grad Certificate in Higher Education in Art and Design Now that I have handed it in - I wish I had had the time to put more effort in - I enjoyed the experience of being a learner again - but very difficult to do this and my many jobs. I was told we only got told whether we passed, failed or got a distinction and as I was too busy to be realistic about a distinction this meant too much extra effort a bad idea but on handing it in I was told that this year they are giving marks. To be honest I would really like a distinction but, realistically its not going to happen. But I would be delighted! Was it worth doing? Yes, I now feel I know much more about the pedagogy of Higher Education, and do think I have taken on board the idea of becoming a 'reflective practitioner '. On the other hand I feel like celebrating by destroying my copy of Biggs ' Teaching for quality learning at University' ...

This is a new interpretation activity - you hire a GPS system and go on a treasure hunt with the geocaching system leading you to the treasures. This won one of the Interpret Britain awards. GEOcaching at the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre | Shropshire County Council

Oddcast - SitePal

Possibly useful site for mind mapping software - including for PDA's - though non of the links proved to point to a viable mind-map on a PDA. PDA - Map Your Mind - Books, Software and Mind Mapping Techniques

This is a site that provides free mind mapping software and a discussion about linking a free mind mapping programme with a wiki! Sounds good to me, both are tools I use extensively. Stuff - FreeMind - free mind mapping software

I'm looking at providing lectures or versions of our lectures on the web site. Podcasts are one idea, Video podcasts another but I'm investigating using software gadgets to create animated talks. It means we can create them ourselves and don't have to employ actors, and production time will be much less as we can edit texts as and when we like. Worried about american accents however - but the following product looks a possible candidate. CrazyTalk - Create talking animated messages from any digital image or photo

Student Crit at Central St Martin introduced the idea of Bimodern Arthur Kroker's 'theory' which seems to suggests that the virtual has now become so important that it has interwined itself to be a real part of our world. For more have a look here. CJS Review Essay: Spasm: Virtual Reality, Android Music

This is an interesting summary of attempts to use mobile phone cameras to read barcodes with a view to encoding web sites into bar codes - this would allow one to go straight from a barcode printed on a poster to a web site, or from a newspaper, or to find out more information about a food product. I reported on similar technologies earlier in the blog and am waiting for the technology to settle down and will then make my guided walks into mobile phone walks. The Pondering Primate: The Physical World Connection Makes The Wall Street Journal

New Carrera Marble reliefs of Roman Gladiators have been found in a garden 25 km north of Room. to see an image click here Archaeology

Great web site for those wanting information on setting up in the Creative Industries. Home - Enterprise Centre for the Creative Arts (ECCA)

In order to keep their council tax amongst the lowest in the land, shortsighted Wandsworth Borough Council are proposing to close the local Wandsworth Museum, and withdraw their grant from Battersea Arts Centre. Shame on them! Museums Association Objects To Wandsworth Museum Closure - 24 Hour Museum - official guide to UK museums, galleries, exhibitions and heritage

Gulbenkian Prize Longlist Announced - 24HM Reader's Vote Launched - 24 Hour Museum - official guide to UK museums, galleries, exhibitions and heritage : Braintree District Museum for the Warner Textile Archive, Essex De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea, Horniman Museum in London Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum in Glasgow, Kew Palace in Surrey Pallant House Gallery in West Sussex Scotland & Medicine in Edinburgh The Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art at the V&A in London Weston Park Museum, Sheffield The Women's Library in London

Discoveries have shown that the houses inside the Durrington Wells Henge near Stonehenge constituted a settlement. 8 houses have been found, and others suggested showing a large population - occupation debris has shown that the hut circles were lived in - while previously they were often interpreted as ritual circles. For more information BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Stonehenge builders' houses found for details of the archaeological project see here archaeology

A Middle English dictionary is now up and online and free! It can be accessed at: Middle English Dictionary Jill tells me: 'The University of Michigan have been working on this since, I think,1952 mostly under Kuhn and it is fantastic. You can not only look up words but access the sources and it has very sophisticated search facilities. It was subscription only but not they have recouped the cost they have kept their word. They also have the ongoing Old English Dictionary from Toronto on their site but that is so far only up to G I think and I'm not sure if that is free access.'