I’ve got your missing links right here (9 June 2012)
Top picks
This is really important: a new technique deduces a foetus’ genome… from its parents’ DNA. Good coverage by Alison Motluk.
Thrilling story, spanning 1.75 billion yrs, about how an undersea eruption created an American town. By Dana Hunter.
Important, for anyone covering evolution. If platypuses wrote the biology textbooks, by T. Ryan Gregory.
Guy creates music based on animals. He has good taste. Dugong! Tardigrade! Honey badger! By Veronique Greenwood
We can now watch a fruit fly developing, cell by cell, in real time, by Lauren Gravitz
“BP has subpoenaed the private emails of scientists who studied Deepwater Horizon.” Keep it classy folks. By Brandon Keim.
Humboldt squid are absolutely terrifying. Thankfully they don’t hunt in coordinated pac… OH &%£$. By Craig McClain.
Child considers manatee. Manatee considers child. Stunning photo
We aren’t possibly lucky enough to get a *second* epic Robert Krulwich commencement speech, right? Wait, we ARE!
Ferris Jabr on the sophisticated social network of hermit crabs. The only human social network involving crabs is Chatroulette.
Guns don’t kill people, video game players do. Righteous fury by Martin Robbins.
David Biello’s morning cup of coffee is killing monkeys. They probably had it coming, he said, bitterly nursing his espresso.
“This fish-autism-antidepressants story has the feel of a ticking time-bomb.” Correct, Tom Chivers. Watch as Neuroskeptic absolutely annihilates it, but so-called journalists don’t even bother to ask around for comment. SERIOUSLY? With the crapstorm of misinformation that already surrounds autism, how could any self-respecting hack write this paper up without doing due diligence? What. The. $%&£?
News/science/writing
Weak arguments by tobacco industry to block measures to reduce smoking-related death in California.
Surreal and beautiful. The flight of a dragonfly visualised in smoke.
“It’s time to stop the legal sale of illegally exported fossils,” says Dave Hone.
The mycobiome? Micromycome? Micromycobiome? The fungi that live inside us.
Gangs of killer spiders are not attacking people in India.
Why Puppycam is going to make the internet a whole lot better at Photoshop
Aw congratulations! It’s a manta ray! Lovely set of gill rakers. Have you picked a name?
Big herds attract lots of parasites… but there’s a twist.
Well sure, if you make kids drink bleach, they won’t have autism any more. Or life.
S p a c i n g o u t l e t t e r s helps dyslexics read
Carl Zimmer meets the scientists trying to draw a tree of life with every twig
Why you can’t kill a mosquito with a raindrop
Barry Marshall doesn’t even rank in this list of 10 very upsetting things scientists have done to themselves
Joe Palca at NPR has nice story on Scott O’Neill’s quest to use Wolbachia to defeat DengueWolbachia to defeat Dengue
Wonders of Geology: Getting High On Mountains – a review by Veronique Greenwood.
Funny: the horrifying transformation of a strawberry flower
Out of Asia, then Africa? Curious route for primate evolution.
Dude. Look. Down. Mark Auliya wants tougher rules for the amphibian trade
Stem cell scientists take hope from upcoming human trials, but see long road ahead
Confirmation that US/Israel created Stuxnet to target Iran’s nuclear facilities & lost control of it
WTF? South Korea to remove examples of evolution from high-school textbooks.
Strangest moment in science writing for years: Chuck Norris plagiarises Carl Zimmer.
Excellent post by SciCurious on science outreach and why something’s gotta give
Heh/wow/huh
Heh. LinkedIn hack ‘an anti-prick hate crime’
How to limit the risk of your patients catching fire in the operating room
“When the cat was killed by a car, Jansen turned it into a helicopter.”
Amusing ad juxtaposition
Dull and Boring news
Lost wormhole.
“At flexible sigmoidoscopy, combustible levels of hydrogen & methane were measured in 3 of 30 patients.”
Internet/journalism/society
Found after 147 years, doctor’s report of Lincoln’s assassination (Spoiler: he died)
A great story about a person who faked the online life of a family… for 11 yrs
Incredible. Nook version of War & Peace changed all instances of ‘kindle’/’kindled’ to ‘Nook’/’Nookd’
Married actor tries to sleaze on woman next to him on flight, and she live-tweets the whole thing
Was CBS News right or wrong to bring on scientist from The Nature Conservancy on as a contributor?
The secret to writing.
At the end of reporting, how do you organize a mess of notes?
Interesting. Will free online courses from elite unis cause problems for sci courses at others?
Go Further
Animals
- Octopuses have a lot of secrets. Can you guess 8 of them?
- Animals
- Feature
Octopuses have a lot of secrets. Can you guess 8 of them? - This biologist and her rescue dog help protect bears in the AndesThis biologist and her rescue dog help protect bears in the Andes
- An octopus invited this writer into her tank—and her secret worldAn octopus invited this writer into her tank—and her secret world
- Peace-loving bonobos are more aggressive than we thoughtPeace-loving bonobos are more aggressive than we thought
Environment
- Listen to 30 years of climate change transformed into haunting musicListen to 30 years of climate change transformed into haunting music
- This ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrificeThis ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrifice
- U.S. plans to clean its drinking water. What does that mean?U.S. plans to clean its drinking water. What does that mean?
- Food systems: supporting the triangle of food security, Video Story
- Paid Content
Food systems: supporting the triangle of food security - Will we ever solve the mystery of the Mima mounds?Will we ever solve the mystery of the Mima mounds?
History & Culture
- Strange clues in a Maya temple reveal a fiery political dramaStrange clues in a Maya temple reveal a fiery political drama
- How technology is revealing secrets in these ancient scrollsHow technology is revealing secrets in these ancient scrolls
- Pilgrimages aren’t just spiritual anymore. They’re a workout.Pilgrimages aren’t just spiritual anymore. They’re a workout.
- This ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrificeThis ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrifice
- This ancient cure was just revived in a lab. Does it work?This ancient cure was just revived in a lab. Does it work?
Science
- The unexpected health benefits of Ozempic and MounjaroThe unexpected health benefits of Ozempic and Mounjaro
- Do you have an inner monologue? Here’s what it reveals about you.Do you have an inner monologue? Here’s what it reveals about you.
- Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io has been erupting for billions of yearsJupiter’s volcanic moon Io has been erupting for billions of years
- This 80-foot-long sea monster was the killer whale of its timeThis 80-foot-long sea monster was the killer whale of its time
Travel
- How to plan an epic summer trip to a national parkHow to plan an epic summer trip to a national park
- This town is the Alps' first European Capital of CultureThis town is the Alps' first European Capital of Culture
- This royal city lies in the shadow of Kuala LumpurThis royal city lies in the shadow of Kuala Lumpur
- This author tells the story of crypto-trading Mongolian nomadsThis author tells the story of crypto-trading Mongolian nomads