I’ve got your missing links right here (07 September 2013)
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Top picks
This David Dobbs story, on how our lives shape our genes, is just a stunning piece of world-class writing.
Some weird insect/spider/thing is building a white fence around its eggs, and no one knows what it is. Matthew Cobb has the story. Nadia Drake also covered it for Wired, with tons of quotes from baffled experts.
Why are you not dead yet? Laura Helmuth collects the various ways in which her friends would have died by now.
Come for the mucus carpentry of snails; stay for Robert Krulwich’s adorable drawings
Christian Jarrett brings some much-needed scepticism to the widely reported Neuroracer study. And Daniel Simons lists 19 questions he would have asked about the recent brain-training study, had he been a reviewer
Brian Switek on the clitoral bone, and why humans don’t have one
“The only memory of the bee is a painting by a dying flower.” Poignant XKCD strip.
Wolves Howl For Friends, Challenging A Popular Theory of Animal Communication. By Jason Goldman.
Great story on bee flight, muscles, and old things evolving to do new things, by Malcolm Campbell
A beautifully written piece about a swordfish with a nose ring.
Science/news/writing
Congrats to Mary Bates who joins Wired’s sci blog network with a new blog on animal intelligence
An Australian train accident is being blamed on millipedes.
Buddhist monasteries as nodes for snow leopard populations due to protective influence of monks.
The 16th-century version of the nosejob is every bit as horrific as you might imagine
Trying to decide between a secret underwater base or a secret volcano lair? DON’T WORRY
Lord! Voles de mort
GOOD WORK, YELLOW WARBLER
What’s in that nugget? The USDA will allow chicken processed in China to be sold in the US without origin labeling
KERMIE?!? Male frogs inject courtship hormones into females with nuptial pads hooks & spines
“In most cases the press release was more gracefully written.” Faye Flam on uncritical Martian origin of life stories
Stop pretending we aren’t living in the Space Age
Scientists to sequence genomes of hundreds of newborns
The Science of Big Science.
A touching tribute to the late Anne Szarewski, a leading HPV researcher.
The poorest Costa Ricans live longest. Because telomeres?
NYT profile of Eugenie Scott, an incredible spokesperson for science nearing the end of her 27-yr directorship of the NCSE
The Ethics of ‘Mini Human Brains’—Neuroskeptic’s on the money with his analysis
Oh. Crap. There’s a second amphibian-killing fungus out there.
Cool, the first ever Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton discovered is going on display at London’s Natural History Museum
Here’s Kevin Mitchell explaining why the hype around optogenetics is justified
Why the other queue always seems like it’s moving faster.
Jennifer Ouellette on duelling theories about mysterious Namibian fairy circles.
Chemicals like putrescine, cadaverine and spermidine can keep fruit flies sharp in old age
How do we determine if octopuses feel pain?
Heh/wow/huh
Amazing shot of a great white shark breaching
Researchers cut open a rainbow trout to find… 20 shrews.
Government to pursue “anecdote-based policymaking”
Noam Chomsky as an X-Factor judge
How fast could you hit a speed bump, yet live?
Journalism/internet/society
BBC Business Editor explains to a 6yr old why they only get £1 a week pocket money: t.co/qBBZMn4dQl
Sometimes “don’t feed the trolls” is the wrong response. Some trolls need smacked down.
How Robert Lee Hotz turned no suspense, no surprise, no scoop into a Pulitzer finalist series.
You’re doing it wrong: what you can learn from bad science PR pitches
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