diff --git a/.ipynb_checkpoints/not_so_obvious_python_stuff-checkpoint.ipynb b/.ipynb_checkpoints/not_so_obvious_python_stuff-checkpoint.ipynb
index c48d0de..3ea736a 100644
--- a/.ipynb_checkpoints/not_so_obvious_python_stuff-checkpoint.ipynb
+++ b/.ipynb_checkpoints/not_so_obvious_python_stuff-checkpoint.ipynb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
  "metadata": {
   "name": "",
-  "signature": "sha256:9654ab25e9d989ee8f196ec7cd5c2b7222157dbe195ddf70e6ec34329c9db545"
+  "signature": "sha256:9a07a78204a51f0faab65e52657f0446cd604ed470627f9c6af1ba74c047fe23"
  },
  "nbformat": 3,
  "nbformat_minor": 0,
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@
       "- [Key differences between Python 2 and 3](#python_differences)\n",
       "- [Function annotations - What are those `->`'s in my Python code?](#function_annotation)\n",
       "- [Abortive statements in `finally` blocks](#finally_blocks)\n",
-      "- [Assigning types to variables as values](#variable_types)"
+      "- [Assigning types to variables as values](#variable_types)\n",
+      "- [Keyword argument unpacking syntax - `*args`  and `**kwargs`](#splat_op)"
      ]
     },
     {
@@ -2979,6 +2980,125 @@
      ],
      "prompt_number": 4
     },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "source": [
+      "<a name=\"splat_op\"></a>\n",
+      "<br>\n",
+      "<br>"
+     ]
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "source": [
+      "##Keyword argument unpacking syntax - `*args` and `**kwargs`"
+     ]
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "source": [
+      "Python has a very convenient \"keyword argument unpacking syntax\" (often also referred to as \"splat\"-operators). This is particularly useful, if we want to define a function that can take a arbitrary number of input arguments."
+     ]
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "source": [
+      "#### Single-asterisk (*args)"
+     ]
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "code",
+     "collapsed": false,
+     "input": [
+      "def a_func(*args):\n",
+      "    print('type of args:', type(args))\n",
+      "    print('args contents:', args)\n",
+      "    print('1st argument:', args[0])\n",
+      "\n",
+      "a_func(0, 1, 'a', 'b', 'c')"
+     ],
+     "language": "python",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "outputs": [
+      {
+       "output_type": "stream",
+       "stream": "stdout",
+       "text": [
+        "type of args: <class 'tuple'>\n",
+        "args contents: (0, 1, 'a', 'b', 'c')\n",
+        "1st argument: 0\n"
+       ]
+      }
+     ],
+     "prompt_number": 30
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "source": [
+      "#### Double-asterisk (**kwargs)"
+     ]
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "code",
+     "collapsed": false,
+     "input": [
+      "def b_func(**kwargs):\n",
+      "    print('type of kwargs:', type(kwargs))\n",
+      "    print('kwargs contents: ', kwargs)\n",
+      "    print('value of argument a:', kwargs['a'])\n",
+      "    \n",
+      "b_func(a=1, b=2, c=3, d=4)"
+     ],
+     "language": "python",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "outputs": [
+      {
+       "output_type": "stream",
+       "stream": "stdout",
+       "text": [
+        "type of kwargs: <class 'dict'>\n",
+        "kwargs contents:  {'d': 4, 'c': 3, 'b': 2, 'a': 1}\n",
+        "value of argument a: 1\n"
+       ]
+      }
+     ],
+     "prompt_number": 35
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "source": [
+      "#### (Partially) unpacking of iterables\n",
+      "Another useful application of the \"unpacking\"-operator is the unpacking of lists and other other iterables."
+     ]
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "code",
+     "collapsed": false,
+     "input": [
+      "val1, *vals = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]\n",
+      "print('val1:', val1)\n",
+      "print('vals:', vals)"
+     ],
+     "language": "python",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "outputs": [
+      {
+       "output_type": "stream",
+       "stream": "stdout",
+       "text": [
+        "val1: 1\n",
+        "vals: [2, 3, 4, 5]\n"
+       ]
+      }
+     ],
+     "prompt_number": 36
+    },
     {
      "cell_type": "markdown",
      "metadata": {},
@@ -3008,6 +3128,9 @@
      "cell_type": "markdown",
      "metadata": {},
      "source": [
+      "#### 05/01/2014\n",
+      "- new section: keyword argument unpacking syntax\n",
+      "\n",
       "#### 04/27/2014\n",
       "- minor fixes of typos\n",
       "- single- vs. double-underscore clarification in the private class section."
diff --git a/not_so_obvious_python_stuff.ipynb b/not_so_obvious_python_stuff.ipynb
index c48d0de..3ea736a 100644
--- a/not_so_obvious_python_stuff.ipynb
+++ b/not_so_obvious_python_stuff.ipynb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
  "metadata": {
   "name": "",
-  "signature": "sha256:9654ab25e9d989ee8f196ec7cd5c2b7222157dbe195ddf70e6ec34329c9db545"
+  "signature": "sha256:9a07a78204a51f0faab65e52657f0446cd604ed470627f9c6af1ba74c047fe23"
  },
  "nbformat": 3,
  "nbformat_minor": 0,
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@
       "- [Key differences between Python 2 and 3](#python_differences)\n",
       "- [Function annotations - What are those `->`'s in my Python code?](#function_annotation)\n",
       "- [Abortive statements in `finally` blocks](#finally_blocks)\n",
-      "- [Assigning types to variables as values](#variable_types)"
+      "- [Assigning types to variables as values](#variable_types)\n",
+      "- [Keyword argument unpacking syntax - `*args`  and `**kwargs`](#splat_op)"
      ]
     },
     {
@@ -2979,6 +2980,125 @@
      ],
      "prompt_number": 4
     },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "source": [
+      "<a name=\"splat_op\"></a>\n",
+      "<br>\n",
+      "<br>"
+     ]
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "source": [
+      "##Keyword argument unpacking syntax - `*args` and `**kwargs`"
+     ]
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "source": [
+      "Python has a very convenient \"keyword argument unpacking syntax\" (often also referred to as \"splat\"-operators). This is particularly useful, if we want to define a function that can take a arbitrary number of input arguments."
+     ]
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "source": [
+      "#### Single-asterisk (*args)"
+     ]
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "code",
+     "collapsed": false,
+     "input": [
+      "def a_func(*args):\n",
+      "    print('type of args:', type(args))\n",
+      "    print('args contents:', args)\n",
+      "    print('1st argument:', args[0])\n",
+      "\n",
+      "a_func(0, 1, 'a', 'b', 'c')"
+     ],
+     "language": "python",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "outputs": [
+      {
+       "output_type": "stream",
+       "stream": "stdout",
+       "text": [
+        "type of args: <class 'tuple'>\n",
+        "args contents: (0, 1, 'a', 'b', 'c')\n",
+        "1st argument: 0\n"
+       ]
+      }
+     ],
+     "prompt_number": 30
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "source": [
+      "#### Double-asterisk (**kwargs)"
+     ]
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "code",
+     "collapsed": false,
+     "input": [
+      "def b_func(**kwargs):\n",
+      "    print('type of kwargs:', type(kwargs))\n",
+      "    print('kwargs contents: ', kwargs)\n",
+      "    print('value of argument a:', kwargs['a'])\n",
+      "    \n",
+      "b_func(a=1, b=2, c=3, d=4)"
+     ],
+     "language": "python",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "outputs": [
+      {
+       "output_type": "stream",
+       "stream": "stdout",
+       "text": [
+        "type of kwargs: <class 'dict'>\n",
+        "kwargs contents:  {'d': 4, 'c': 3, 'b': 2, 'a': 1}\n",
+        "value of argument a: 1\n"
+       ]
+      }
+     ],
+     "prompt_number": 35
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "markdown",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "source": [
+      "#### (Partially) unpacking of iterables\n",
+      "Another useful application of the \"unpacking\"-operator is the unpacking of lists and other other iterables."
+     ]
+    },
+    {
+     "cell_type": "code",
+     "collapsed": false,
+     "input": [
+      "val1, *vals = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]\n",
+      "print('val1:', val1)\n",
+      "print('vals:', vals)"
+     ],
+     "language": "python",
+     "metadata": {},
+     "outputs": [
+      {
+       "output_type": "stream",
+       "stream": "stdout",
+       "text": [
+        "val1: 1\n",
+        "vals: [2, 3, 4, 5]\n"
+       ]
+      }
+     ],
+     "prompt_number": 36
+    },
     {
      "cell_type": "markdown",
      "metadata": {},
@@ -3008,6 +3128,9 @@
      "cell_type": "markdown",
      "metadata": {},
      "source": [
+      "#### 05/01/2014\n",
+      "- new section: keyword argument unpacking syntax\n",
+      "\n",
       "#### 04/27/2014\n",
       "- minor fixes of typos\n",
       "- single- vs. double-underscore clarification in the private class section."