2020-03-01 The Simple Things

(sharon) #1
You will need:
20 x 20 cm square of thick paper
Paper strawww, Sellotape, string, small
metal washer, tape measure

Fold the paper in half diagonally to
make a triangle.Lay the straw along
the longest side of the paper (the
hypotenuse) making it flush with one
corner, and tape into place. Pierce a
hole in this corner, then attach string
through thehole, hanging the washer
from the other end. Look up through

the strawww, positioning yourselfso you
can both see the top of the tree and
that the weight hangs straight against
the side of the triangle. You have
created an isosceles triangle (where
two sides are of equal length)
between the sightline, the ground
and the tree itself.
TTTo figure out the tree height,
measure from where you are standing
to the tree itself, adding on your
height to eye level. Tree-gonometry
at its finest.

MEASURE THE HEIGHT OF TREES


THROW THROW BURRITO


If you’ve ever felt
that your communal
card games are a
little too sedate (no,
us neither), Throw
Throw Burrito is
there to take it up a
(safe) physical level.
From the people
who gave us family
favourite Exploding
Kittens, this

combines cards with
the extra thrill of
having things thrown
at you – specifically
two foam burritos.
Requiring a level
of hand-eye
coordination, as well
as quick card skills,
this promises one
fun fiesta.
£24.99 firebox.com

BOARD GAME OF THE MONTH


Q: What book is most likely to be
left in a hotel room?
A: If you’re in one of 452 British
Travelodges, it’s Simon Cowell’s
biography, and the unauthorised
one at that, written by Chas
Newkey-Burden. Also featuring
on the “so good, I entirely forgot
to pick it up” list are Ant and Dec,
Dan Brown, Stephanie Meyer and
Elizabeth Gilbert. As Simon himself
might say, it’s a no from us.

HOW (^) TO
...
Assuming you have a washing machine,
washing your clothes at 30 instead of 40
degrees Celsius can be one third cheaper,
saving up to £52 a year. And if, for example,
every Londoner switched to 30°C, they would
save enough energy between them to rotate
the London Eye, 2.3 million times.) You could
go even further and – if you’re not washing
nappies or reusable menstrual pads –
experiment with a 20°C wash (or a cold one,
in the US). I’ve been doing it for a year and
haven’t noticed the difference; the clothes still
come out nice and clean. And, at 20°C, most
colours (at least from clothes that aren’t brand
new) won’t leach, so you can avoid wasting
power on half-full loads. If you’re always
sticking a small load on because you keep
running out of undies, then maybe it’s time to
invest in some more – organic bamboo ones,
preferably. Oh, and try using soap nuts (dried
fruits of a tree that grows in India and Nepal
which contains saponins that clean your
clothes when mixed with water) instead
of detergent for washing clothes – you can
get a hundred washes from one small bag.
ECO TWEAKS
WASHING CLOTHES
This homemade clinometer – and a bit of basic maths – adds up
to a bit of nifty know-how



  • Answers 1. lamb; 2. The cherry blossom; 3. Munich; 4. A leveret; 5. Laurence
    Adapted from How to Save the World For
    Free by Natalie Fee (Laurence King)
    THE SURVEY SAYS
    Some of the world’s most useless
    stats and facts
    Youwillneed:
    20 x 20cmsquareofthickpaper
    PaperstrawSellotape,string,small
    metalwasher,tape measure
    Foldthepaperin halfdiagonallyto
    makea triangle.Laythestrawalong
    thelongestsideofthepaper(the
    hypotenuse)makingit flushwithone
    corner,andtape intoplace.Piercea
    holein thiscorner,thenattachstring
    through thehole,hangingthewasher
    from theotherend.Lookupthrough
    thestraww, positioningyourselfsoyou
    canbothseethetopofthetreeand
    that the weighthangsstraight against
    thesideofthetriangle.Youhave
    createdanisoscelestriangle (where
    twosidesareofequallength)
    betweenthesightline,theground
    andthetreeitself.
    T figureoutthetreeheight,
    measurefromwhereyouarestanding
    to thetreeitself,addingonyour
    heightto eye level.Tree-gonometry
    at itsfinest.
    MEASURETHEHEIGHTOFTREES
    THROWTHROWBURRITO
    If you’veeverfelt
    thatyourcommunal
    cardgamesarea
    littletoosedate(no,
    usneither),Throw
    ThrowBurritois
    thereto takeit upa
    (safe)physicallevel.
    Fromthepeople
    whogaveusfamily
    favouriteExploding
    Kittens,this
    combinescardswith
    theextrathrillof
    havingthingsthrown
    at you– specifically
    twofoamburritos.
    Requiringa level
    of hand-eye
    coordination,aswell
    asquickcardskills,
    thispromisesone
    funfiesta.
    £24.99 firebox.com
    BOARD GAMEOFTHEMONTH
    Q:Whatbookis mostlikelytobe
    leftin a hotelroom?
    A:If you’rein oneof 452 British
    Travelodges,it’sSimonCowell’s
    biography,andtheunauthorised
    oneatthat,writtenbyChas
    Newkey-Burden.Alsofeaturing
    onthe“sogood,I entirelyforgot
    topickit up”listareAntandDec,
    DanBrown,StephanieMeyerand
    ElizabethGilbert.AsSimonhimself
    mightsay,it’sa nofromus.
    HOW (^) TO
    ...
    Assuming you have a washing machine,
    washing your clothes at 30 instead of 40
    degrees Celsius can be one third cheaper,
    saving up to £52 a year. And if, for example,
    every Londoner switched to 30°C, they would
    save enough energy between them to rotate
    the London Eye, 2.3 million times.) You could
    go even further and – if you’re not washing
    nappies or reusable menstrual pads –
    experiment with a 20°C wash (or a cold one,
    in the US). I’ve been doing it for a year and
    haven’t noticed the difference; the clothes still
    come out nice and clean. And, at 20°C, most
    colours (at least from clothes that aren’t brand
    new) won’t leach, so you can avoid wasting
    power on half-full loads. If you’re always
    sticking a small load on because you keep
    running out of undies, then maybe it’s time to
    invest in some more – organic bamboo ones,
    preferably. Oh, and try using soap nuts (dried
    fruits of a tree that grows in India and Nepal
    which contains saponins that clean your
    clothes when mixed with water) instead
    of detergent for washing clothes – you can
    geta hundredwashesfromonesmallbag.
    ECO TWEAKS
    WASHING CLOTHES
    This homemade clinometer – and a bit of basic maths – adds up
    to a bit of nifty know-how

  • Answers 1. lamb; 2. The cherry blossom; 3. Munich; 4. A leveret; 5. Laurence
    Adapted from How to Save the World For
    Free by Natalie Fee (Laurence King)
    THE SURVEY SAYS
    Some of the world’s most useless
    stats and facts

Free download pdf