Ah, a slew of holiday parties loom and that means finding conversational topics to amuse (or tactfully repel) everyone from your creepy uncle to coworker’s spouse you’ve met a million times but whose name leaves you drawing a complete blank. Thankfully, Jill Harness at mental_floss has gathered eleven things you probably didn’t know about the …

Thanks to Michael LaFosse of Origamido in Havermill, MA, you can now fold your own Kawasaki Swallowtail! Download the instructions here. There’s still time to get a free copy of Presentation Zen and personalized cover for Christmas. Go here to learn how. Kawasaki Swallowtail Butterfly by Michael G. LaFosse is licensed under a Creative Commons …

Curl up in front of the fire with enough reading material to last through the spring thaw. Cambridge University has digitized 4,000 pages of notes from scientist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton. Not exactly a Jodi Picoult novel, but certainly entertaining none the less. The massive collection includes Newton’s personal copy of his 1687 masterpiece, …

Forget the holidays… Once again, it’s that time of year when college students realize that starting the weekend on Wednesday didn’t do their grades any favors and now finals loom like a the phantom of student loan debt will once they say goodbye to campus and hello to reality. College Humor is there to get …

Forgotten technology gets a rebirth for the modern age thanks to the electrical wizardry and creative mind of Devin Ward. Ward tinkers with vintage radios, transforming the old AM/FM broadcasters into sleek looking iPod speakers with a retro flair. Via Shortlist. Available for purchase on Etsy. Find a heaping dose of design inspiration.

Anna and Arkadiusz Szafraniec, known professionally as the Glass Duo, perform a beautifully fanciful version of Tchaikovsky’s Sugar Plum Fairy on a glass harp. Via MetaFilter. Play a bit of music.

Holiday traditions vary from family to family. Some families construct gingerbread houses and sing Christmas carols around the piano. My family watched the original Star Wars trilogy every Christmas day. If that last sentence made you jealous, make yourself feel better by tuning in to this lovely video of Chewbacca singing “Silent Night.” ‘Tis the …

Wondering how to create a brand that will not only be instantly recognizable but perhaps even reach the status of iconic? Erica Gorochow quickly runs down how the fundamental elements of design can be used to create a brand for the ages. Full story at Vimeo via Laughing Squid. Great design.

When artist Jason de Caires Taylor submerges his masterpieces in the waters of South America, the artistic process is only beginning, depending on Mother Nature to put the finishing touches on his life-size cement figures. …Highlighting natural ecological processes Taylor’s interventions explore the intricate relationships that exist between art and environment. His works become artificial …

Via Christmas Tree Market. Infographics for the holidays.

The space highways in a galaxy far, far away can pose series dangers for a Stormtropper spending his non-Rebel Alliance battling days hitting the open road on his hog. Luckily, the folks at UD Replicas have a solution in the form of a stylin’ and safety conscious Stormtrooper motorcycle suit. Crafted using the finest grade-A …

Originated in a 1970s edition of Stewart Brand’s Whole Earth Catalog and made famous by Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University, the message to “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” has been embraced as a life motto for many. Push yourself to never forget the hunger or foolishness with a lovely print from design and …