Good Reads and Info

Monsanto holds patents on genes contained in 95 percent of all soybeans and 80 percent of all corn grown in the U.S. How can that possibly be good for the free market, and even more important, the gene pool of the plant kingdom?

When preparing to unwrap your Christmas gifts, don't forget the tin snips, protective gloves, and band aids. Clamshell packaging can be hazardous to your (physical and mental)

Octopuses are not only smart enough to use tools, but also smart enough to plan for future tools use. That said, watching one carry a coconut shell is probably the funniest thing you'll see today.

The Brief and Strangely Interesting History Of Christmas Lights. Thomas Edison hung the first electric Christmas lights in his laboratory in 1880, which replaced the dangers of candle-lit trees with the dangers of electrical fires.

December is the darkest month of the year. So why isn't it the coldest? It honestly has nothing to do with the power company's profit margins.

Change blindness is a fancy word for how we don't pay attention to what's going on. Here's another experiment, in which you are asked to count the number of basketball passes between the white-shirted players.

Of the hundreds of exoplanets we know of, the one that most resembles earth is called GJ 1214b. The folks at Wired believe that GJ 1214b deserves a better name, and is taking your suggestions and votes. (via Metafilter)

A slideshow of the best pictures of the decade. Some record world-changing events, but you'll also see fighting squirrels and baby ducklings. (via Fark)