I’ve Got Your Missing Links Right Here (26 October 2013)
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Top picks
Interesting piece by Maria Konnikova on the psychology of online commenting and anonymity.
Essential reading on the new Dmanisi skull, from John Hawks.
How a night class student blew a celebrated psychological theory wide open
“Joy Morgan isn’t a mother, but she may have kids.” – Cassandra Willyard on the quagmire of privacy around sperm/egg donation
“I pulled out the intestine of the barnacle, cut it open, and a bright blue piece of plastic popped out.” – Miriam Goldstein on her own research.
Laurie Garrett on synthetic biology, the dual-use research controversy, and biology’s Brave New World
Carl Zimmer on the genetic code, why it’s universal, and how some scientist are recoding it.
Virginia Hughes on the similarity between the brain and codebreakers: both face an unavoidable tension between speed and accuracy
Is Wikipedia in decline? A long analysis of the online encyclopaedia’s struggle to keep editors
Researchers keep mum on botulism discovery. Great coverage of the debate by Helen Branswell.
Great feature by Kerri Smith on Jack Gallant and his brain-decoding work
When sexual harassment isn’t “overt” or “physical”, it’s still insidious. Jennifer Ouellette explains why.
There’s still a ton we don’t know about T.rex. Brian Switek discusses.
Cultured follicles offer hope for beating baldness. And don’t miss this old feature from Helen Pearson about the scientist behind the discovery, and her great hair.
Great explanation by Gia Milinovich about the difference between sex and gender, and a recent controversy about the same.
High-school student finds trumpet-headed dinosaur—by me in Nature News.
Any piece that begins with “Back in my baboon-watching days…” is surely a winner. Barbara King, writing in Aeon.
Leigh Cowart is hilarious and pointed about Malcolm Gladwell’s “insidious horsesh*t” on performance-enhancing drugs
The unexpected lessons from Hiroshima. David Ropeik on the mismatch between fear and radiation.
Saving killer whales by using dogs to track their poo. By Brooke Jarvis.
Why is snot green? Nice little explainer by Ben Bleasdale
Ha! A review of the new dystopian novel: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Science/news/writing
Should slaver ants be renamed as “kidnapper ants”? Alex Wild makes the case.
Pubmed opens for trolling. I mean comment. Yeah, comment.
Australian Lizards Thrive When Humans Hunt Them
The extinction event that killed off most of the dinosaurs also killed a lot of bees.
Biomimicry of dolphin echolocation produces a very sensitive new type of sonar
Singing fish grunt to jam each other’s mating calls.
No, Brits. Flesh-Eating Spiders of Death Are Not Invading Our Country
Whatever it is this time, it really can’t predict earthquakes. By Chris Rowan.
Citizen science project may have found the first 7-planet system
Pesticide makes invading ants suicidally aggressive
Amusing parody of I F*cking Love Science.
Once again, viral images prove to be an effective way of communicating about sci… oh wait.
How crocodiles have sex.
Turtle’s got the bends, oh no.
Baby’s number sense at 6 months predicts mathematical ability years later. And OMG the video!
The skeptical scientist from my turn-taking monkeys post expands on her critique at Language Log.
“Worst single massacre in southern Africa in 25 years”; cyanide used to kill 300 elephants
It’s finally time to test genome sequencing at birth, argues Carl Zimmer
Marc Hauser corrects a tiny part of the scientific record. Ivan Oransky on fine form.
Mystery of the galloping dung beetles
#DrownYourTown: Exploring Sea Level Rise through real-time, interactive, GIS modelling
Behold the terrifying spring-loaded jaws of the goblin shark
Second Oarfish In A Week Washes Ashore
Well huh. Susumu Ohno didn’t coin the term “junk DNA”, as Dan Graur’s detective work reveals
Deadly chytrid fungus is wiping out amphibians around the world by making their immune cells self-destruct
The Blue Peter approach to incubating baby cephalopods
“Using dolphins as bait? That’s like using Albert Einstein as a traffic bump”
What does it feel like to hold a human brain in your hands?
Today I learned about Eucladoceros, the brush-antlered deer. And boy is it beautiful.
“The teeth in your mouth started as body armor.” – Brian Switek on a new study about the mysterious conodonts
“Just when it seems it couldn’t be worse, your abdomen explodes” Rebecca Helm on the parasitic barnacle.
Awwww. They grow up (and bore through your skin) so fast. Snf.
Positive developments at Psychological Science to shore up the reliability of research
“After 20 mins at it, I realized I’d make a terrible monkey but I could eat reasonably well as a mongoose”
How small long-distance tweaks to genes make a face go round.
The Cheer pheasant – a beautiful bird which hints that quails might be stripped-down sort-of-pheasants.
The ocean is broken: a disturbing story from a global sailor
An immune suppressive drug can unexpectedly help immunized mice fight off diverse strains of flu.
Study pre-registration soon to be *mandatory* part of research ethics in psychology & cog neuroscience
What’s Creepy, Crawly And A Champion Of Neuroscience?
Heh/wow/huh
The Onion’s guide to breast cancer awareness is no less ridiculous than a lot of pink merchandise.
A partial list of all the things scientists are told they need to be good at which are also full-time jobs
A lovely comic, inspired by Bill Watterson
Capt Durand doth protest too much
Spider-Man shooting web fluid into someone’s blood bag. What. An. Ass.
Paracelsus‘ full name was the best name ever conceived.
Peer-Reviewed Arthropod Farting
Would-be groom fails to confirm wedding venue, tries to cover up mistake with hoax bomb threat, goes to jail.
An astonishing photo of Saturn.
The Daily Mash on Malcolm Gladwell
Journalism/internet/society
“They have successfully tested their new space cannon.”
The Japanese are done with sex? No. No, they’re not.
Proof: The Science of Booze, is an upcoming book from the amazing Adam Rogers. You should pre-order it.
CHAMPIONS! “Freelance science journalists…are undoubtedly the most poorly paid science writers”
Mexican drug lord assassinated by killer clowns.
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
- All aboard Norway's slow train under the midnight sunAll aboard Norway's slow train under the midnight sun