The 140-character limit of Twitter posts was guided by the 160-character limit established by the developers of SMS. However, there is nothing new about new technology imposing restrictions on articulation. During the late 19th-century telegraphy boom, some carriers charged extra for words longer than 15 characters and for messages longer than 10 words. Thus, the cheapest telegram was often limited to 150 characters. Concerns for economy, as well as a desire for secrecy, fueled a boom in telegraphic code books that reduced both common and complex phrases into single words. Dozens of different codes were published; many catered to specific occupations and all promised efficiency. Published 2 August, 2009, The New York Times

Being a handy guide to big numbers in the news. Published 31 March, 2009, The New York Times

"Time has no divisions to mark its passage," Thomas Mann observed. "There is never a thunderstorm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols." And it is only we mortals who publish quizzes.

A Times editorial on Aug. 1, 1968, declared: "Public opinion polls possess the fascination inherent in any attempt to read the future. But in fact they are a reasonably trustworthy guide only to the past." With this in mind, we look back four decades to the opinion polls of 1968 - a year dominated by an unpopular war, racial tensions, economic unease and a presidential election upon which much would hang. Sound familiar? Published 20 December, 2008, The New York Times

Being a Collection of Proverbs, Saws and Wisdom for this Testing Financial Climate. Published 1 December, 2008, The New York Times

The number eight rarely receives the same attention as one, three, seven or nine, which for various reasons tend to hog the numberical limelight. Yet eight is not without merit, and this is an ideal opportunity to highlight some notable miscellaneous octads. Published 8 August, 2008, The New York Times

On January 2, oil prices hit a milestone when a trader on the New York Mercantile Exchange bid $100 a barrel for crude oil futures. Since then, oil has risen and fallen and risen again. The effect of such turbulence on public confidence (as well as on prices at the pump) has prompted increased interest in oil trading. And, perhaps because they are more photogenic than numbers on a screen, the oil traders themselves, whose bizarre gesticulations (known as "open outcry" trading) have become a metonym for the market. Some suggest that open outcry - trading via shouts and hand signals - is a dying art, threatened by electronic systems. Yet Raymond Carbone, who trades energy options on the New York exchange, is sanguine: "People have been saying that these signals will only be around for another couple of years. But they've been saying that for a decade." And, he notes, "I can signal a trade faster than you can type it." Here, Mr.Carbone demonstrates the hand signals he uses to make himself understood in turbulent times. Published 7 April, 2008, The New York Times Click here for an interactive guide.

A miscellany of hoaxes, rags, shams, spoofs, leg-pulls, flimflam, chicanery, hoodwinkery, legerdemain, and "cruellest month" eyewash. Published 1 April, 2008, The Times

With Ipsos MORI A survey of British opinion on class, rank, and social mobility exploring everything from whether differences affect romantic relationships to whether BBC Radio 4 is middle class. Published 19 March, 2008, The Times Click here to examine the complete data file.

A miscellany of sweet nothings for Valentine's Day. Published 14 February, 2008, The New York Times Click here for an interactive chart.

With David Brooks Extending the Monthly Magazine's "Tabular Estimation" [see below] across the pond, David Brooks and Ben Schott use this tried and tested formula to assess the US Presidential hopefuls. Published 15 November, 2007, The New York Times Click here for an interactive grid.

With Ipsos MORI A survey of British belief reveals just how superstitious we are, exploring attitudes to ghosts, telepathy, witches and wizards, magpies, the number 13, and a host of other issues. Published 31 October 2007, The Times [ Click here to examine the complete data file.]

With Ipsos MORI A survey of British sleeping habits reveals when we sleep and when we rise, as well as a host of other data, including: how many (and who) pray before bed, sleep naked, and take a cuddly toy to bed. Published 15 August 2007, The Times [ Click here to examine the complete data file.]