I’ve got your missing links right here (19 January 2013)
Top picks
If you haven’t read it yet, here’s my story on the incredible scientific dynasty fathered by Bob Paine. From throwing starfish off a beach to a global ocean-studying empire, this is a tale of mentorship and scientific legacies.
A superb story on lasting mental scars of Fukushima, by Geoff Brumfiel.
Leprosy bacteria reprogram nerves into stem cells. By Mo Costandi
Awesome feature on tracking down a hospital killer, by Carl Zimmer
This nurse on her deathbed invited students to learn from her how to care for the dying
“These things aren’t even bacteria!” To understand why that quote is so damn amazing, read this by Jennifer Frazer
How a traffic engineer solved the mystery of three grad students’ death. Powerful story by Roberta Kwok
A Cancer Cycle, From Here to China, That Won’t End. By Dan Fagin
The White House response to the Death Star petition is absolutely wonderful.
Study finds gene flow from India to Australian aborigines around 4,000 years ago. I wrote about it for Nature, but Razib Khan is cautious about it.
An attempt to save a beloved Firefly character, using SCIENCE.
First video of giant squid in its natural habitat shows a strong swimmer and vigorous attacker
Californian biotech firm was running secret goat facility. No kidding.
A great piece on spider expert Fritz Vollrath, and his quest to synthesise spider silk.
Nauseatingly stunning photos of world’s wildest places, from NatGeo’s 125th anniversary
A wonderful story about a fishing trip for genes, by Virginia Hughes
A Mysterious Patch Of Light Shows Up In Dark North Dakota. What is it?
How to make a skyscraper disappear quietly
Kenyan elephants more likely to be killed by humans than die from normal causes.
Here’s a video of mating deep-sea squid, explained by Craig McClain
The language used to describe male and female arthropod behaviour is gendered and stereotyped
Privacy loophole means DNA donors’ identities can be determined from some publicly available records.
There Are Whales Alive Today Who Were Born Before Moby Dick Was Written. By Rose Eveleth.
The 2013 Edge Question is back online. What should we be worried about? 150 intellectuals answer it, and none of them say “Mutant radioactive bees.” O, you complacent, underprepared intellectuals. (2014’s question will be “Whom do you serve?” and all answers will be “You, my bee masters.”
Carl Zimmer on why, despite the panic, influenza isn’t even that competent a virus
A heartbreaking tribute to Aaron Swartz from Quinn Norton. Other good pieces from Ars Technica and Cory Doctorow
Science/news/writing
Radiolab asks doctors: “What’s a “good death?” and gets some surprising answers.
A simple request, from Phil Plait, regarding global warming.
What we know and don’t know about pain in crabs and lobsters
Alice Bell’s manifesto for science museums
Remember the Dunbar number– 150 as human-group size? John Hawks explains why it doesn’t annoy him as much as it used to.
We sent the Mona Lisa to the moon using lasers
How many times are dangerous pathogens accidentally released from labs?
Oh the hugemanatee! Brian Switek on land sea cows.
After years of silence, the plague can rise again.
White nose syndrome confirmed in bats at Mammoth Cave National Park.
A great piece from Alexis Madrigal taking the long view on Beijing air pollution to 19th C Pittsburgh
A new blog about climate science, by Tamsin Edwards, promises to be a great read.
So, how did they find that horse DNA in beef burgers anyway?
Thoreau and Aldo Leopold’s flower journals lend clues for climatologists today
My ex-employers Cancer Research UK stick up a Facebook post that is astonishingly arrogant in the face of the complexity of biology. They apologise, but then double-down on the absurd statement. There’s a superb comment from Jim Woodgett on the unqualified hyperbole.
These laser weapons were brought to you by a novel about laser weapons. Sci-fi funding reality.
Describing what chemists do in plain English
Nature running a huge survey of scientists’ attitudes to publishing and open-access.
“Stand closer to the rhinos.” No, don’t do that. Definitely don’t do that.
“Critics say that antibody therapy is too expensive for [Africa].” HIV trial under scrutiny
Meet the awesome 19-year-old who is fighting for science over creationist BS in Louisiana schools.
Seeing inside the flu virus reveals the difficult nature of science
“Darwin was Wrong about Dating“: a silly headline, and it doesn’t get better.
Astounding portrait of helpless, paralyzed spiders lined up to be eaten by a voracious wasp larva
This Robot Is the Latest Weapon in the War on Birds
Are pubic lice really going extinct because of Brazilian waxes? No.
Competition for sex is not the reason for the giraffe’s majestic neck
$10 billion pipeline linking Red Sea to Dead Sea is ‘feasible’, says World Bank
How the humble zebrafish is changing medicine
Kevin Mitchell continues his excellent piece on epigenetics, and how it doesn’t provide an answer to “missing heritability”
Check out Adam Rutherford’s programme on the evolution of sex.
How the stink of a waterbuck could prevent sleeping sickness in Kenya
Scientific evidence that you probably don’t have free will. I’m sure some of you will be determined to disagree…
The clouds are alive as microbes fly unfriendly skies
Backbone back-to-front in early animals
Is Daniel Gilbert’s new paper on the “end of history illusion” just a failure of maths?
DSM-V field trials were *worse* than those from the DSM-III, the version from 33 years ago
China pollution pictured: particulate levels unofficially recorded at more than 30 x safe limit
Faecal stains seen from space give away… emperor penguin colony
Words you don’t want to see in front of “gonorrhea” might include “almost-untreatable”
Good explanation about puffery on epigenetics, by Jerry Coyne
Heh/wow/huh
“Go home evolution, you are drunk”
Some beautiful movies of the invisible world
HA! “Scientists conclude: ‘No further research is needed’”
People who say: “Look, somebody has to say it”
I’m Not There: A Photographer Captures his own Shadow
“Kills 99.99% of germs!”
Chimpanzee fire = glowing fungi! Amazing.
What if David Attenborough were the subject of a nature documentary?
A full length version of Toy Story with real toys
New flying frog is “one of the most flying frogs of the flying frogs.”
Complex Natural Spider Webs Preserved on Glass Plates
Journalism/internet/society
THE reports on Becca Rosen’s pledge to boycott participation on all-male panels at conferences, w/ comments from me
Was the Guardian right to open comments on their Vauxhall helicopter crash live blog?
Are you a writer or an editor? The writers and the editors discuss. Interesting, although it feels a little Sorting Hat-ty…
The Atlantic, Scientology, and the “giant slurping sound” of credibility being siphoned. And spot-on satire from the Onion and Boing Boing
That story about online comments making you stupid? Alice Bell’s first paragraph is bang on
More on the “journalistic method”, inspired by the scientific one.
Reactions to the dismantling of the NYTimes environmental desk
Japanese hacker continues to taunt police with clue strapped to cat
The death of print media, visualised as a T.rex
Epic last line! Ordinary housecat beats professional wealth managers in year-long stock-picking challenge
Google Trends suggests that Newtown really did change the US conversation on gun control
Go Further
Animals
- Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?
- This pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilienceThis pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilience
- 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
Environment
- This pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilienceThis pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilience
- 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?
History & Culture
- Gambling is everywhere now. When is that a problem?Gambling is everywhere now. When is that a problem?
- Beauty is pain—at least it was in 17th-century SpainBeauty is pain—at least it was in 17th-century Spain
- The real spies who inspired ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’The real spies who inspired ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’
- Heard of Zoroastrianism? The religion still has fervent followersHeard of Zoroastrianism? The religion still has fervent followers
- Strange clues in a Maya temple reveal a fiery political dramaStrange clues in a Maya temple reveal a fiery political drama
Science
- Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?
- Can aspirin help protect against colorectal cancers?Can aspirin help protect against colorectal cancers?
- 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
Travel
- Follow in the footsteps of Robin Hood in Sherwood ForestFollow in the footsteps of Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest
- This chef is taking Indian cuisine in a bold new directionThis chef is taking Indian cuisine in a bold new direction
- On the path of Latin America's greatest wildlife migrationOn the path of Latin America's greatest wildlife migration
- Everything you need to know about Everglades National ParkEverything you need to know about Everglades National Park