I’ve got your missing links right here (2nd October 2010)

ByEd Yong
October 02, 2010
2 min read

News

I’m tellin y’all it’s sabotage! Brendan Maher discusses the fascinating case of Vipul Bhrigu, a postdoc who “destroyed the experiments of a colleague in order to get ahead. It took a hidden camera to expose a surreptitious and malicious side of science.”

Prompted by my post on masturbating squirrels, Daniel Engber at Slate republished an entire feature on animal masturbation.

“Surprisingly, the pattern of homicides resembled an exchange of gifts.” A fascinating Vaughan Bell piece on the social side of murder.

“So cheer up and take it from us that even if we kicked you in the pants it was between friends.” An amusing series of exchanges between DNA pioneers Crick, Watson, Wilkins and Franklin.

“I feel that we are all mad.” A disturbing look at water politics in the Nile valley and the conflicts between the upstream countries that control the water and the downstream countries that need it.

Jonah Lehrer, aged, 10, spells out his wisdom about how to practice 50 percent less but still get the same benefits.

“About 350 million years ago, evolution took one small step for fish, and a giant leap for every terrestrial animal since. According to a new study, it was all made possible by plants.”

It’s okay. Contrary to popular assertions, the UN has not yet selected an alien ambassador. The post is obviously still open.

Most Earth-like planet yet spotted in a habitable zone. Already has a Starbucks on it. Probably. Phil Plait discusses the story.

Hey, good news! We won’t have to saw off the top of your skull! cough*we’llgothroughtheeyeinstead*cough*

I really like the concept of this New Scientist piece celebrating the vast improbability of human existence – the 10 cosmic accidents that allowed us to happen. Soaring stuff.

Look into my eyes. “No longer a mere vaudeville routine, hypnosis is being used in labs to cast light on the innermost workings of the brain”

“Imagine being violated by masses of dynamic and powerful net-like pseudopodia and torn to pieces from the inside.” If you ever find yourself really small, do not f**k with forams.

Carl Zimmer discusses the monkey in the mirror – a potentially important new paper on monkey self-recognition.

More after the jump…

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