Every week, we scour the web to bring you interesting bits and pieces from around the world. Enjoy!

Our Place In The Universe

It’s a fine line between self-reflection and navel-gazing. Watching this video of time-lapse views of the Earth from the International Space Station will keep you firmly in the camp of the former as you marvel at the beauty of our planet and the vastness of the universe.

The Kitchen Of The Future

Everyone’s favourite purveyor of Swedish meatballs and modular furniture has designed the kitchen of the future. Ikea transports you into 2025, when the stove and the table are one, the refrigerator has passed quietly into history, and waste comes packaged by type (and, we assume, labeled with names like Lüffgorp and Knutstraggläke). Most interesting? Ikea has actually made a working demo of each innovation.

Get Them While They’re Young

Look out — Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and Hulu are coming for our kids. This article explains how these deep-pocketed streaming sites are developing original content not just for parents. Their goal is to lay the groundwork for a lifetime of loyalty among the littlest smartphone and tablet viewers. The article focuses on North America, but it’s a sign of where entertainment is headed everywhere and an interesting read.

How To Talk To Little Girls

Telling little girls they are cute only ingrains the idea that they are valued for their looks from the earliest age, argues the author of this article. So instead, she asks them what they are reading. The difference in their response, she says, is obvious and hopefully will stay with them as they age.