Further to the thrilling item about the Dobsonmeter, the admirable Richard Carter has begun posting excerpts from an 1882 book entitled Popular Scientific Recreations, Profusely Illustrated at the Friends Of Charles Darwin site. He begins with that most useful of innovations, the dog-powered sewing machine. More outlandish “recreations” are promised, so do make sure you keep an eye on the site in the coming weeks and months, indeed years.