I’ve Got Your Missing Links Right Here (4 October 2014)
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Top picks
In the past 40 years, we have killed half of our back-boned animals. Just let the enormity of that sink in.
“The idea that the microbiome of any Hadza represents an “ancestral” or “healthy” human population is nonsense.” John Hawks on a terribly ill-advised self-experiment.
“In the 18 months that he spent without his head, [Mike] grew from a mere 2.5 pounds to almost 8.” Bec Crew on the sad saga of Mike the headless chicken.
The loudest noise in recorded history was so loud it circled the Earth four times. Aatish Bhatia on the big Krakatoa Kaboom.
Giant carnivorous red leech slurps down equally giant earthworm
This is a fascinating piece on the neuroscientific legacy of the Vietnam War, by Emily Anthes
The science of memory has huge implications for police line-ups. By the ever-excellent Virginia Hughes, who also writes about an alternative to the unreliable polygraph
Team of scientists finds 167,000 “species” in Central Park, mostly microbes, mostly unknown. By Carl Zimmer
Genome sequencing w/ 24-hr turnaround is saving the lives of infants w/ mysterious diseases. Great story by Sara Reardon.
This absurdly violent duck beats the crap out of anything that moves & uses mafia tactics.
Ebola: what you should and shouldn’t worry about. A fantastic explainer by Nadia Drake, on the stages of transmission, infection, sickness, and death.
Science/news/writing
Goo goo g’joob? 35,000 walruses have come ashore in Alaska for lack of sea ice
Watch This Droplet of Alcohol Move Through A Maze By Itself
Is ‘sluggish cognitive tempo’ a disease or disease mongering?
New ASBMB president goes off on one regarding science’s young riff-raff. Jesus.
Scientists catch wild chimpanzees teaching each other new ways to drink water.
A poacher is busted for butchering manta rays at an Indonesian fish market.
Incredible blackwater diving images and an octopus defending itself with Man-O’-War tentacles
Ross Anderson interviews Elon Musk about Mars and more.
Walking Really Is Just Falling and Catching Yourself
Alzheimer’s: “emotions associated w/ events can persist long after the events have been forgotten”
“The histories of our mess-making really matter.”
Wind Turbines Kill Bats by Impersonating Trees
Scientists sneak Bob Dylan lyrics into articles.
The Pluto/planet debate, revisited. #lumpersforever
The Greatest Animal War, by Brooke Borel, with WONDERFUL illustrations; love the hand metaphor
The Ausubel’s mighty claws lobster has the most divergent claws of any lobster. And the best name.
Psychologist/chef creates the “fake tongue illusion“, tests it on Heston Blumenthal
Are swimming plankton driving ocean currents? It’s more complicated than news reports are saying.
“There was no grand jump between nonbirds and birds.”
Why People Used to Think Beavers Bit Off Their Own Testicles
This is fascinating chemistry, but surely people buy civet coffee because it’s a status thing, rather than for taste?
These African plants are more endangered than rhinos, and are being traded on the black market as landscape ornaments
Cry havoc, and let slip the goats of war.
Don’t count on cloning tyrannosaurs any time soon. (Brian Switek is a total natural on-screen; TV people take note.)
The Ebola virus is unlikely to ever go airborne (and currently isn’t)
“Our paper was peer-reviewed, your critique wasn’t” is the most pathetic of responses to scientific debate.
The idea that 1 dog year = 7 human years is pretty much entirely made up
PNAS nixes the “prearranged editor” submission option. Now if they’d only kill “Contributed” papers too…
Did getting sleepy start out as sinking into the ocean?
Harvestmen trap prey with glue
“Ebola outbreak shuts down malaria-control efforts”. Erika Check Hayden on Rube Goldberg epidemics.
This marooned baboon’s family calls to him, as he’s stuck on an island in the Zambezi River
RIP Martin Perl, who “discovered one of the building blocks of the universe”.
“Denial doesn’t kill cancer. I still believe it could be worse.”
Astonishing photos of the ice grottoes underneath Mount Rainier.
Some corals have guard crabs that protect them from marauding starfish
“It is not every day you can announce the discovery of thousands of new mountains on Earth.” All higher than 1.5km
“If that is true, fire invented people as much as people invented fire.”
Heh/wow/huh
Neuroscientists in rap battle on Twitter
Popular New Exercise App Just Tells Users They Ran 5 Miles A Day No Matter What
50 Years Of Climate Change, Habitat Loss Somehow Unable To Take Down Goddamned Parrotfish
God texts the 10 commandments
An Anti-Feminist Walks Into a Bar: A Play in Five Acts
Absolutely breathtaking entries to National Geographic’s annual photo contest.
“If you see a suspicious-looking filamentous virus particle, stay away.” The Onion’s tips on Ebola prevention
CassetteBoy versus David Attenborough!
Stunning photos of what is arguably the world’s most threatened group of animals
Basically, the best thing about science is parafilm
The David Cameron Conference Rap is *amazing*.
Internet/journalism/society
How to illuminate the Sistine Chapel.
Annalee Newitz envisions New York’s future as a megacity.
A history of the woefully inefficient rubber.
“Selfies have become boring; that means they’re finally about to get interesting.”
Glowing review for Steven Johnson’s new book on innovation and invention.
How US laws turn battered women into criminals – a horrifying investigation
How Gilmore Girls explores women and finance–& the mom-daughter economies of money and love
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
- Are the Great Lakes the key to solving America’s emissions conundrum?Are the Great Lakes the key to solving America’s emissions conundrum?
- The world’s historic sites face climate change. Can Petra lead the way?The world’s historic sites face climate change. Can Petra lead the way?
- 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
History & Culture
- Meet the original members of the tortured poets departmentMeet the original members of the tortured poets department
- 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
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?
Travel
- Could Mexico's Chepe Express be the ultimate slow rail adventure?Could Mexico's Chepe Express be the ultimate slow rail adventure?
- What it's like to hike the Camino del Mayab in MexicoWhat it's like to hike the Camino del Mayab in Mexico