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