I’m taking a short break so there won’t be any new posts for a bit. If you want something to read during the hiatus, here are some favourites from this year.
Long-form writing
- Aeon – Ant Farm
- Wired – The power of swarms
- Nature – Dynasty
- BBC (reprinted on blog) – Can We Apocalypse-Proof the World’s Knowledge with DNA?
Best of Not Exactly Rocket Science, 2013
- “We Gained Hope.” The Story of Lilly Grossman’s Genome
- Snug as a Bug in a Bug in a Bug
- Collars Reveal Just How Extreme Cheetahs Can Be
- Can We Save the World by Remixing Life?
- Resurrecting the Extinct Frog with a Stomach for a Womb
- Parasites Make Their Hosts Sociable So They Get Eaten
- How a quarter of the cow genome came from snakes
- The genes that built a home
- Dung Beetles Watch the Galaxy (That’s How They Roll)
- What Bit This Great White Shark? A Cookie-Cutter
- Bees Can Sense the Electric Fields of Flowers
- The Origin of the Friendly Wolf that Confused Darwin
- The Mucus-Lover that Stops Mice from Getting Fat
- 3-D Scans Reveal Caterpillars Turning Into Butterflies
- The Changing Science of Just-About-Birds and Not-Quite-Birds
- The Females of the Madagascar Sucker-Footed Bat are Missing
- Better Flu Vaccine Made from Self-Assembling Sculptures
- How Chickens Lost Their Penises (And Ducks Kept Theirs)
- Thresher Sharks Hunt with Huge Weaponised Tails
- Here’s What Happens Inside You When a Mosquito Bites
Go Further
Animals
- Cougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treksCougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treks
- Rare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginningRare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginning
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- Termite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million yearsTermite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million years
Environment
- Why the 2024 hurricane season could be especially activeWhy the 2024 hurricane season could be especially active
- Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.
- This deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the worldThis deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the world
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- This exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the worldThis exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the world
History & Culture
- See the story of Jonah and the whale like never beforeSee the story of Jonah and the whale like never before
- This ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the pastThis ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the past
- These are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit themThese are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit them
- Meet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius CaesarMeet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius Caesar
Science
- Women’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to changeWomen’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to change
- Hundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right nowHundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right now
- What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.
Travel
- A taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street foodA taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street food
- Discover southeastern Spain's secret coastal regionDiscover southeastern Spain's secret coastal region