https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xRXYJ355Tg The AI Bias Before Christmas by Casey Fiesler

How to fold and cut a Christmas star<br /> Christian Lawson-Perfect https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S90WPkgxvas

What a great simple example with some interesting complexity.

For teachers trying this with students, when one is done making some five pointed stars, the next questions a curious mathematician might ask are: how might I generalize this new knowledge to make a 6 pointed star? A 7 pointed star? a 1,729 pointed star? Is there a maximum number of points possible? Is there a minimum? Can any star be made without a cut? What happens if we make more than one cut? Are there certain numbers for which a star can't be made? Is there a relationship between the number of folds made and the number of points? What does all this have to do with our basic definition of what a paper star might look like? What other questions might we ask to extend this little idea of cutting paper stars?

Recalling some results from my third grade origami days, based on the thickness of most standard office paper, a typical sheet of paper can only be folded in half at most 7 times. This number can go up a bit if the thickness of the paper is reduced, but having a maximum number of potential folds suggests there is an upper bound for how many points a star might have using this method of construction.

This seems to have an interesting relation to the tradition of wassailers and "luck visitors" traditions or The Christmas Mummers (1858). The song We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Roud Folk Song Index #230 and #9681) from the English West Country (Cornwall) was popularized by Arthur Warrell (1883-1939) in 1935. It contains lyrics "We won't go until we get some" in relation to figgy pudding and seems very similar in form to Mari Lwyd songs used to gain access to people's homes and hospitality. An 1830's version of the song had a "cellar full of beer" within the lyrics.

I'm curious if the Roud Folk Song Index includes any Welsh songs or translations that have similar links? Perhaps other folk song indices (Child Ballads?) may provide clues as well?

Covid: Dutch go into Christmas lockdown over Omicron wave. (2021, December 18). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59713503

Halliday, J., & correspondent, J. H. N. of E. (2022, January 17). ‘Christmas was awful’: On the Omicron frontline at the Royal Preston hospital. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/17/christmas-was-awful-on-the-omicron-frontline-at-the-royal-preston-hospital

Siddiqui, T. R., Virginia Pietromarchi,Usaid. (n.d.). UK PM Johnson rules out new COVID curbs before Christmas. Retrieved January 16, 2022, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/21/omicron-now-dominant-in-the-us-as-who-sounds-alarm-live

https://maya.land/responses/2021/12/20/333-covers-last-christmas.html

Oh dear!

Davis, Nicola, and Nicola Davis Science correspondent. ‘England Reports Record 113,638 New Covid Cases on Christmas Day’. The Guardian, 27 December 2021, sec. World news. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/27/uk-reports-daily-figure-of-98515-new-covid-cases.

Millman • •, Jennifer. ‘NY Pre-Christmas COVID Testing Delivers Record Total Just Shy of 50,000 Cases in Single Day’. NBC New York (blog). Accessed 3 January 2022. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/ny-pre-christmas-covid-testing-delivers-record-total-just-shy-of-50000-cases-in-single-day/3468284/.

https://getpocket.com/collections/the-backstories-behind-your-favorite-christmas-songs

Omicron and children: Pediatric hospitals in parts of U.S. filling fast. (n.d.). Washington Post. Retrieved December 28, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/12/24/omicron-children-hospitalizations-us/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas

Peter den Haan. (2021, December 21). @dgurdasani1 Two headlines, one year apart. ~74,000 dead. Nothing learned whatsoever. Https://t.co/pjEmUoXxfA [Tweet]. @revpdh. https://twitter.com/revpdh/status/1473252947903590402

Sam Coates Sky. (2021, December 16). For posterity this is what the Joy Morrissey now deleted tweet said: Https://t.co/IZHX2tZrGs [Tweet]. @SamCoatesSky. https://twitter.com/SamCoatesSky/status/1471428868573732876

Boffey, D. (2021, December 15). Omicron likely to accelerate death toll in Europe, says health agency. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/15/omicron-covid-likely-accelerate-death-rate-europe-eu-health-agency

Covid: UK reports highest daily cases since the pandemic began. (2021, December 15). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59673150

Mason, R., & Devlin, H. (2021, December 8). Boris Johnson rushes in Covid plan B amid Christmas party scandal. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/08/boris-johnson-plan-b-covid-measures-england-omicron-vaccine-passports-mask-wearing

Sparrow, A. (2021, November 30). Boris Johnson says people should not cancel Christmas parties over Omicron – as it happened. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/nov/30/uk-covid-omicron-threat-booster-vaccine-masks-boris-johnson-coronavirus-latest-updates

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/popular-christmas-tree-varieties-29268 Top 5 Fragrant Christmas Trees

1. Balsam Fir
2. Douglas Fir
3. Fraser Fir
4. Scotch Pine
5. Colorado Blue Spruce

COVID-19: ‘Muddled thinking’ and ‘recipe for regret’ - PM’s Christmas bubble plans under fire. (n.d.). Sky News. Retrieved 27 February 2021, from https://news.sky.com/story/muddled-thinking-and-recipe-for-regret-pms-covid-christmas-bubble-plans-under-fire-12141693

‘Drinks on the pavement’: UK scientists on their Christmas plans. (2020, November 24). The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/24/drinks-on-the-pavement-uk-scientists-on-their-christmas-plans

Dominic Minghella. ‘Wow. SAGE Scientist Prof Andrew Hayward on Newsnight Unequivocal: “I Won’t Be Getting My Family Together for Christmas.” Young People and Old People Together a Recipe for Disaster/Snatching Defeat from Jaws of Victory/Wait till Easter and Have a Proper Get-Together. #Newsnight’. Tweet. @DMinghella (blog), 25 November 2020. https://twitter.com/DMinghella/status/1331374249001578497.

How We Can Stop the Spread of Coronavirus by Christmas. (n.d.). Time. Retrieved December 17, 2020, from https://time.com/5912705/covid-19-stop-spread-christmas/

Covid: Scots told to prepare for “digital Christmas.” (2020, October 22). BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-54643340

I heard about this when I was in Barcelona last spring!

Could JK Rowling sue for royalties?

Neil Gaiman reads "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. (A comment says the actual reading starts at about 11:50.)