Three things for today

1. Today I learnt that not only can you use compression to determine the language of a passage, but you can also use it to tell which of a series of photographs is the sharpest. A blurry image will compress more than a sharp one.
2. In java, StringBuilder can be used instead of, and if preferable to StringBuffer if not using multiple threads.
3. We have brains, first and foremost to control movement. There is a creature called a sea quirt which as a juvenille swims around but then finds a place to anchor itself. Once it has done this, it digests its own brain and nervous system for food. A brain isn't needed when you're not going to move.

Photo Wikipedia Commons: Nhobgood

For an interesting talk on the complexity of movement, and the purpose of the brain see the following TED talk.