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
- 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?
- This pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilienceThis pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilience
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
- 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
- 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
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?
- Can aspirin help protect against colorectal cancers?Can aspirin help protect against colorectal cancers?
Travel
- What it's like to hike the Camino del Mayab in MexicoWhat it's like to hike the Camino del Mayab in Mexico
- Is this small English town Yorkshire's culinary capital?Is this small English town Yorkshire's culinary capital?
- This chef is taking Indian cuisine in a bold new directionThis chef is taking Indian cuisine in a bold new direction
- Follow in the footsteps of Robin Hood in Sherwood ForestFollow in the footsteps of Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest