Interesting Links for 13-7-2011

[andrewducker]

• Schools don't seem terribly suited to an age where both parents work
  (tags: school children education uk)
• The lost continent off the coast of Scotland - and its link to ancient climate change.
  (tags: scotland climatechange)
• A new rule for Science Fiction DVDs
  (tags: scifi BrianCox funny webcomic)
• Flywheels for cheaper hybrid cars and for energy storage
  (tags: energy cars electricity storage)
• Tryptophan depletion seems to be connected to autism
  (tags: autism tryptophan serotonin)
• Singapore building massive desalination plants using new more-efficient methods
  (tags: water singapore technology)
• Johann Hari suspended by The Independent
  (tags: johannhari independent)
• Teens prefer caffeinated drinks - even if they can't taste it.
  (tags: caffeine teenagers)
• HTML5 Parsing in IE10
  (tags: internet microsoft browser html html5)
• Cheques not be scrapped after all. I don't think I've seen my cheque-book in five years.
  (tags: banking cheques payment uk)
• It is now one year since we discovered Neptune
  (tags: neptune astronomy solarsystem)
• 100 Firefights, Three Weeks: Inside Afghanistan’s Most Insane Fight
  (tags: war afghanistan military usa taliban)

Comments

[andrewducker]

I'm intrigued - what do you use it for?

[mair_in_grenderich]

well I've signed up to a couple of holidays/workshops this year who have asked for payment by cheque.

I expect that both outfits would be able to take bank transfers (though perhaps their administrators find it easier if the cheques are in the mail) but as I'm travelling and didn't bring my card reader with me I can't make bank transfers (silly me).

[seph-hazard.livejournal.com]

They're also the only way I can think of to give someone money when you aren't certain how much money it is that you need to give them.

[andrewducker]

That used to be the case when I was a student - my parents gave me a blank cheque with instructions not to use it except in an emergency.

This was great, because it meant that I had cash if I really needed it, rather than waiting days for them to get it to me.

Nowadays, they could transfer it to me within 2 hours using Faster Payments.

[cheekbones3.livejournal.com]

I should have said "a" rather than "the". But anyway, it's for paying bills for my korfball club. Not sure what we'd have done over the last four years otherwise!

[andrewducker]

Handy for organisations when you don't have a debit card, I guess.