I’ve got your missing links right here (30 March 2013)
Top picks
History repeats. Scientists publish HeLa genome without consulting Lacks family. Important op/ed by Rebecca Skloot. And Ewen Callaway takes a deep look at the ethical issues raised.
Fascinating piece by Virginia Gewin: Future diets could be more diverse if climate hardy species get a fair taste.
Paul Salopek begins his 7-year walk to retrace humanity’s footsteps. And the writing is *beautiful*.
“A mission on the very edge of being possible.” – Kevin Fong on a private mission to Mars
A beautiful piece on portraits of Phineas Gage – he who took the railroad spike through the head. By Vaughan Bell
The trap-maker who fitted secret compartments in cars – an outstanding Wired story by Brendan Koerner
Biologists home in on Turing patterns: nice piece by Jennifer Ouellette on the crossroads of maths and biology.
For a few weeks in 1961, humans’ dreams of space travel hinged on a doll. By Megan Garber
Bacteria transplant provides some of the benefits of gastric bypass surgery without the surgery
Michael Moynihan gives Jane Goodall the Jonah Lehrer treatment over plagiarism and shoddy anti-GMO evidence in her upcoming book.
That’s just unfair. Paige Williams’ story on dino-smuggling was SO good & her story of *finding* the story is too.
Stapling this to some faces: The 9 Hottest Reasons Why It’s Not Hot to Make ‘Hot’ Lists
“The landscape is just basically dead.” Bleak news of North Korea’s ecological ruin
Yes, we should spend money on studying duck sex, argues arch-deviant Carl Zimmer.
“I donated my body to medicine. Here’s why.” Wonderful piece by Annalee Newitz
Great story in Aeon on genetically modified pets, by Emily Anthes
Science/news/writing
Why Time’s “How To Cure Cancer” cover was wrong, grandiose, and cruel.
Smuggler caught with more than 10% of AN ENTIRE SPECIES
New fish species gets a magical name – blue-bellied night wanderer!
Oh, the pathos! There’s a word for the last individual of a species: Endling.
A tiny nocturnal hunter with an amazing invisibility cloak? Meet Astrosquid!
The Prank the Changed the Face of Medicine
There’s some really weird epigenetics going on in the placenta
Er, live bomb found inside squid? The Cthulhu suicide bombers are getting ready.
The mysterious football octopuis. No, not THAT ONE.
The Falkor – a luxury science ship
This microbe has seven sexes. How does it choose?
Jeez, the US uptake rates for the HPV vaccine are ridiculously low. In England, it’s around 80-90%.
Con artists are stealing the identities of real journals to cheat scientists out of publishing fees.
“Eye-drop poisoning is more routine you might think.”
One in twelve Belgian medical scientists admits having “made up and/or massaged data”
An estimated 3,000 great apes smuggled for pet trade, circus acts, etc. every year.
Great reflections on post-publication peer-review following an amazing takedown of a shoddy new psych paper.
Amazing story: Gene therapy cures “untreatable” leukaemia in eight days
Thanks for donating your submarine, James Cameron, but can we have the power loader instead?
10% of world’s birds went extinct after humans settled Pacific islands
Shrinking blob solves one of hardest problems in maths
Hey, do you remember where we put that vial of hemorrhagic fever? Down the sofa, behind the Pringles?
10 Dinosaur Myths That Need To Go Extinct
88% of respondents would rather get faecal transplant from a healthy chimp than a sick human
On April 1 the NHS will change forever. This short piece is all you need to know about the loss.
Most doctors prescribe placebos? Well, depends on what you call placebos…
What we’ve learned about the history of disease from studying mummies
Bill Gates Has $100k For Anyone Who Invents a Next-Gen Condom
Jim Watson continues his quest to be a git to the very end. There is a reason why the Watson strand is the anti-sense strand.
Heh/wow/huh
Ctenophores. ‘Cause sometimes evolution only feels like making the mouth.
The R2-DD2 is the bra you’ve been looking for. Jesus.
Game-changer. I’m renouncing the UK for Finland. Finnish passport also a flipbook of walking moose.
A gorgeous weather app.
Underwhelming Fossil Fish of the Month
“Dammit, they’ve hacked the mainframe!”
Journalism/internet/society
This OneTab chrome extension is so … calming.
David Grann nails big part of Twitter’s appeal: “extended office culture” for isolated writers.
30 Things Every Writer Should Know
“People I burgled got rich by greed & skulduggery – they deserved me & I deserved them” Obit to king of cat burglars
A list of words and phrases that don’t translate between British and American English
The largest cyberattack in history… isn’t happening
Oh, America. Atheist packages 10x more likely to be lost in the post
Google gets ungoogleable off Sweden’s new word list. And a righteous retaliatory Swedish Language Council post: “Google does not own the language!”
“F*ckton” of material on web but people gravitate to “the good stuff” – Bobbie Johnson on the creation of Matter.
Americans oppose drone strikes on Americans
Trends in journalism, or why environmental reporting is probably not quite dead yet.
Go Further
Animals
- How can we protect grizzlies from their biggest threat—trains?How can we protect grizzlies from their biggest threat—trains?
- This ‘saber-toothed’ salmon wasn’t quite what we thoughtThis ‘saber-toothed’ salmon wasn’t quite what we thought
- Why this rhino-zebra friendship makes perfect senseWhy this rhino-zebra friendship makes perfect sense
- When did bioluminescence evolve? It’s older than we thought.When did bioluminescence evolve? It’s older than we thought.
- Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?
Environment
- Are the Great Lakes the key to solving America’s emissions conundrum?Are the Great Lakes the key to solving America’s emissions conundrum?
- The world’s historic sites face climate change. Can Petra lead the way?The world’s historic sites face climate change. Can Petra lead the way?
- 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
History & Culture
- Meet the original members of the tortured poets departmentMeet the original members of the tortured poets department
- Séances at the White House? Why these first ladies turned to the occultSéances at the White House? Why these first ladies turned to the occult
- 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
Science
- Here's how astronomers found one of the rarest phenomenons in spaceHere's how astronomers found one of the rarest phenomenons in space
- Not an extrovert or introvert? There’s a word for that.Not an extrovert or introvert? There’s a word for that.
- NASA has a plan to clean up space junk—but is going green enough?NASA has a plan to clean up space junk—but is going green enough?
- Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?
Travel
- Could Mexico's Chepe Express be the ultimate slow rail adventure?Could Mexico's Chepe Express be the ultimate slow rail adventure?
- What it's like to hike the Camino del Mayab in MexicoWhat it's like to hike the Camino del Mayab in Mexico