Time Suck #1
At the library staff get-together last night, our new children’s librarian told us about this great new educational game she found on the UK Science Museum’s website. She raved about it and warned that it was way too difficult to stop playing.
So naturally, I went home and tried it . . . for three hours. Good thing I’d had one or two too many diet sodas at dinner!
Thingdom is a unbelievably cute, sneaky, and entirely too addictive way to introduce the concept of genetics to your kids. Supposing you stop playing long enough for them to try it out.
You adopt a squishy little Thing who comes equipped with its own genetic profile, raise it until it’s ready to pass on its genetic material, chose a potential mate with the right genetic traits for whatever the game wants the offspring to have, and complete a task to impress that mate so it will agree to combine DNA.*
You then choose one of the resulting four babies to continue your breeding program, or start over.
I managed to reach level four before all the babies, who were supposed to be green and indeed had been green since the first level, turned blue. Darned recessive combinations!
Janie, however, reached the final level before breakfast and gives it a double thumbs up. She’s playing it right now and promises to give me some pointers, once I’ve posted this.
Science . . . it is adorable!
ooooooooooooooOOOOOoooooooooooooo
Time Suck #2
aka, Resistance is Futile
Today, I broke down and signed up for Twitter, mostly so I could follow people.
I may not be posting much at first, since I work in a no-phone-zone** and the moment I try to think of something interesting to tweet, my brain dries up.
But if I do and you’re interested—or if you’re wondering who that clueless idiot is who just tried to tweet at you and didn’t quite make it work—I’m, uh, Sarah W (@EarfulOfCider).
Is that how you write that?
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*Which is done in a tasteful and non-gratuitous manner, for those of you who were worried. You can also skip that bit once you understand the concept.
** Not that my phone is capable of doing anything but making a phone call or two before needing a recharge anyway.
Earful of Cider 