I’ve Got Your Missing Links Right Here (13 December 2014)
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Top picks
Nine things I wish people understood about anxiety. Highly recommended, by Kady Morrison.
TIME have gone and ruined a years-long run of mocking by choosing a really good Person(s) of the Year: the Ebola fighters.
10 controversies in climate change that are more interesting than, “Is it happening?” Compiled by Alice Bell
“After hibernating for much of the past 7yrs, the New Horizons spacecraft awoke today on Pluto’s doorstep.” By Nadia Drake.
“A distinguishing feature of Ethiopia is that both religion and science are bred in its bone.” Great piece by Amy Maxmen
“No one, not even the dozen or so groups who intensively study [stem cell] reprogramming, knows how it happens.” Great state-of-the-union feature by David Cyranoski
“Drunk driving, then you wake up.” Maria Konnikova on the science of misheard lyrics.
Do we protect nature for nature’s sake, or for our own? Michelle Nijhuis on bridging the conservation divide
An interesting call for microbiologists to ditch the term “pathogen“. Solid case here.
There is a bird called the cinereous mourner, and its larvae look like caterpillars. Carl Zimmer discusses.
A new study shows that most exaggeration in science/health news comes from scientists and press releases. Ben Goldacre writes about how to fix the problem. And Mark Henderson and Virginia Hughes have the best reactions—both own their responsibilities as PIO and journalist respectively. (My own brief reaction.)
“There’s a subversive wind in the Tree of Life, whipping DNA this way & that, between species, across kingdoms,” says Ferris Jabr, the amazing process of horizontal gene transfer.
Parasitic Trypanosomes Contain Nature’s Only Chain Mail DNA. Fascinating by Jennifer Frazer
News/science/writing
This is basically about using fossil penguins as themometers.
What makes a pufferfish stay puffed?
To avoid multiple threats, leopards have to be crafty cats
After 14 years & $1.2 billion, the NIH just cancelled a massive study of kids’ health
The birth of a dinosaur footprint
Randomised trial: Gay political canvassers can soften the opinions of voters opposed to same-sex marriage in 20mins
“[It] was one of the longest-running & most rigorous tests yet of cloud seeding… It worked–sort of.”
People who know more about antibiotics & antibiotic resistance are more likely to misuse antibiotics. Because people.
A huge flock of bird papers was released this week. Here’s the best piece I’ve found on them, by Megan Scudellari.
Going, going… Nature explores the unknown unknowns of threatened species
PubPeer: “Scientific peer review is broken. And we’re fighting to fix it with anonymity”
“In some regions of the central Pacific there is now 6 times as much plankton-sized plastic are there is plankton” And yet, that’s still less than expected.
How a butterfly come to masquerade as a dead leaf
Fighting off orcas, humpback whales use adult “escorts” that try to protect calves not their own
Spider sensor knows when you’re talking
A Bunny-Sized Dinosaur Was First of Its Kind in America
The most detailed nerve images ever recorded are also the most psychedelic
This bus can’t get enough of your crap.
“I may have many crises but reproducibility isn’t one of them. Science is always wrong.”
The science of farts
Global deaths from malaria drop by almost half. Amazing.
A guide for journos on covering fMRI neuroscience studies. Essential.
The filefish camouflages itself by smelling like the corals it eats
“A 52 year old woman suffered from a strange problem: she saw dragons wherever she looked.”
Never has a meaningless list been so thoroughly quantified to such little effect
How pterosaurs filled their lungs
Billionaire does the hard cell
io9 has the best headline on Discovery Channel’s atrocious anaconda show
Delighted that Gary Schwitzer found funding for his excellent watchdog site. Lord knows health journalism needs it.
After a disaster, scientists get by with help from their friends. A story of recovery.
A two–part lesson in drawing judgment.
Why Poor People Stay Poor: Saving Money Costs Money
How a trapdoor spider builds its “door”
Do we dream in slow motion?
“What the Rabbits Taught Us”. A delightful essay about animal obsession & relationships
“The most venomous snake is the one that bites you.”
Heh/wow/huh
Amazing optical illusion graffiti
The Daily Habits Of 5 Highly Successful People
Entries in Sony’s World Photography Contest – the faceless portrait at the end is my favourite.
That’s no small moon
This Christmas tree is controlled by electric fish
World’s Oldest Woman Just Pleased Every Other Human On Earth When She Was Born Now Dead
Pygmy seahorses: highly camouflaged and smaller than a paperclip.
Oh yay, it’s the satirical BMJ Christmas issue! “Study supports the theory that men are idiots”
Internet/journalism/society
Greenpeace activists damage Peruvian heritage site to send environmental message
Toys are more divided by gender than they were 50 years ago
Why James Cameron’s Aliens is the best movie about technology
Idiot punches hole in Monet painting, gets 5 yrs jail time. They fixed the painting
Gene Weingarten says that the UVA Rolling Stone story is “the worst screwup in the history of modern American journalism”
A visualization of Wikipedia rabbit holes
A ‘working’ podcast on being a person who writes dictionary definitions
Malcolm Gladwell accused of plagiarism.
Kathryn Schulz’s best books of 2014
Two Christmas gift guides for science-y people, one compiled by Nadia Drake for Wired and another from me for TED
David Wolman talks about the origins and craft behind his *amazing* story about the L’Aquila earthquake trial
The Twitter account that unravels time.
On Rolling Stone and the limits of fact-checking
Rolling Stone just wrecked an incredible year of progress for rape victims
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?
- Follow in the footsteps of Robin Hood in Sherwood ForestFollow in the footsteps of Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest
- This chef is taking Indian cuisine in a bold new directionThis chef is taking Indian cuisine in a bold new direction