I’ve Got Your Missing Links Right Here (05 April 2014)
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Top picks
This is a heartbreaking piece on the sheer scale of pangolin trafficking, following a long undercover investigation. By John Sutter.
“Not every mystery involves a dead body, but every dead body is a mystery.” Kathryn Schulz’s piece on death certificates is suffused with beautiful poetry.
“We’re going to build a bio-dome with a future ocean inside it.” Jo Chandler on an epic experiment.
Alexis Madrigal defends Google Flu Trends, and provides a primer on how to think constructively about big data
Beluga whales can actively deploy love handles for stability! By Rebecca Helm.
Hummingbirds have diversified like crazy in a short amount of time. And they’re still going strong. By me.
6 people will spend 4 awful months on a Hawaiian volcano to see if Mars would drive them mad. By Megan Garber.
Henry Nicholls meets Jane Goodall, in advance of her 80th birthday.
No, Rats Are Not Exonerated From The Black Death. By Brooke Borel.
Allan Adams explains the recent big physics discovery about the early universe, with XKCD drawings. He basically improvised this & it’s glorious
Why is the ruling to stop Japanese whaling so important? David Shiffman explains.
An incredible look at the “slow life” of corals, sponges and the other animals that build coral reefs
The wonderful Leigh Cowart on the brain damage suffered by professional boxers.
Science/news/writing
Scientists file patent for octopus robot.
Publicly questioned papers are more likely to be retracted.
Virginia Hughes interviews Nathalia Holt about becoming a science writer & CURED—her book on HIV (which looks amazing)
Black holes tend to be either huge or runty. Nadia Drake on where the Goldilocks ones are
Reconstructing a view of the world’s most famous dinosaur tracks with video.
We really might get plain packs for cigarettes in the UK. Superb.
Characters on cereals marketed at kids stare down at a 10 degree angle. Those on adult cereals look straight ahead
Stem-cell scientist found guilty of misconduct
An ancient cave was basically a killzone for prehistoric leopards.
Eyeless fish navigates because it sucks.
Why do zebras have stripes?
Scientists lack brains; they want yours.
Laurie Garrett on the widening Ebola epidemic in Africa.
Did farting microbes almost kill off all life that one time?
PlantVillage–a site for crowdsourcing the world’s botanical knowledge.
Hadn’t even heard of trilobite beetles before but, damn, they’re stunning.
A full computer can now be worn as a temporary tattoo.
No, British scientists didn’t clone a dinosaur. That’s a kangaroo.
“The artificial leaf is here. Again.”
With minimal govt funding for chronic fatigue research, Ian Lipkin is turning to crowdfunding
You can’t dismiss brain imaging as just an academic gimmick
7-yr-olds as dumb as crows. To the pits with them!
Nuclear power, GMOs, Ebola, and our bizarre relationship with risk perception.
3D printers are giving palaeontology its Gutenberg moment
Scientists created 3500 strains of fruit flies to find one that can moonwalk.
A wonderful long story about the wasp that takes zombie cockroaches for walks
Self-destructing trees could be the key to producing cheaper biofuels
Heh/wow/huh
I totally endorse NPR’s incredible April Fools’ prank.
Every Shakespeare play rendered in three panels each
This fabulous upholstery is the skin of a really weird mite.
If the media reported the events of “Game Of Thrones”
Maximize Your Brainpower By Firing Every Neuron At Once!
Internet/journalism/society
Language police: check your privilege and priorities. Cracking post from Stan Carey
Playground removes “safety” rules; fun, development and injuries ensue (& parents are happy)
“I am an introvert who plays at being an extrovert, and that’s why I f**king write books.” Chuck Wendig on piracy.
A Compilation of the Best Sentences — Opening, Closing, and Otherwise — in English-Language Novels
Why Google Maps gets Africa wrong. A history of cartographic bias.
The Daily Routines of Famous Artists and Scholars
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
- Why are these emperor penguin chicks jumping from a 50-foot cliff?Why are these emperor penguin chicks jumping from a 50-foot cliff?
Environment
- 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?
- Are synthetic diamonds really better for the planet?Are synthetic diamonds really better for the planet?
- This year's cherry blossom peak bloom was a warning signThis year's cherry blossom peak bloom was a warning sign
- The U.S. just announced an asbestos ban. What took so long?The U.S. just announced an asbestos ban. What took so long?
History & Culture
- Why Passover is one of Judaism’s most important holidaysWhy Passover is one of Judaism’s most important holidays
- Is this mass grave a result of contagion—or cannibalism?Is this mass grave a result of contagion—or cannibalism?
- The surprising story of how chili crisp took over the worldThe surprising story of how chili crisp took over the world
- We swapped baths for showers—but which one is better for you?We swapped baths for showers—but which one is better for you?
- How a 3,000-year-old tomb upended what we know about ancient PeruHow a 3,000-year-old tomb upended what we know about ancient Peru
Science
- Ground-level ozone is getting worse - here's what that meansGround-level ozone is getting worse - here's what that means
- Would your dog eat you if you died? Get the facts.
- Science
- Gory Details
Would your dog eat you if you died? Get the facts. - In a first, microplastic particles have been linked to heart diseaseIn a first, microplastic particles have been linked to heart disease
- New fossils reveal one of the smallest titanosaurs ever foundNew fossils reveal one of the smallest titanosaurs ever found
Travel
- Why it's high time for slow travel in Gstaad
- Paid Content
Why it's high time for slow travel in Gstaad - How citizen science projects are safeguarding Costa Rican pumasHow citizen science projects are safeguarding Costa Rican pumas
- These guides spend their lives looking for dolphins. They’re dogs.These guides spend their lives looking for dolphins. They’re dogs.
- What it's like to hike to the end of the world in ChileWhat it's like to hike to the end of the world in Chile
- These restaurants serve the best steak in Buenos Aires, ArgentinaThese restaurants serve the best steak in Buenos Aires, Argentina
