I’ve Got Your Missing Links Right Here (14 February 2015)
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Top picks
“This Incredible Hospital Robot Is Saving Lives. Also, I Hate It” – a tragic comedy by Matt Simon
On the hunting of the endangered Houbara bustard, and relationships between Pakistan and Saud Arabia. By Declan Walsh
“Last week I stood in the very space where Kawaoka’s ferrets fell ill.” Cassie Willyard visits the notorious lab that’s making flu viruses more infectious.
A parasitic wasp uses a virus to warp the mind of its ladybird host. By Carl Zimmer, obviously.
In Nevada, scientists reported ‘wild’ asbestos near Las Vegas and were threatened with legal action for their trouble. Great story by Deborah Blum
“They hide in your bed and breed on your face.” Rob Dunn on mites.
Great piece from Peter Aldhous on animal intelligence and how we study it, featuring crows, elephants, dogs, and cuttlefish. Also featuring Pig #3, an Einstein among swine.
How to sell the truth on vaccination. (Spoiler alert: the scientific facts aren’t enough.) Also by Peter Aldhous, who’s on a roll this week.
Insect sex proves that nature is NSFW. By Gwen Pearson
An argument against genetic exceptionalism, and fears of genetic testing. By Chip Rowe
How did a groundbreaking theory on consciousness become a pseudoscientific personality quiz? By Jason Goldman
The collected wisdom of David Carr, who will be much missed. See also: tributes from the NYT and Dave Wiegel
News/science/writing
Scientists create contact lens that magnifies at blink of an eye
Sponges are among the simplest of animals, but look what they can build
SuperAgers with exceptional memories have five times as many von Economo neurons
Scientists quantify the amount of plastic being dumped in the ocean.
Nine planetary boundaries; we have transgressed four already.
Brilliant visualisation of infection rates before and after vaccines
Outbreaks are expensive. Should parents who don’t vaccinate pay a no-vax tax?
The neuroplasticity bait-and-switch
Why Are Animals With Prosthetics Upworthy When People Aren’t?
A thoughtful NYT essay about futile care that prolongs the agony of a dying patient. By Jessica Nutik Zutter
A new protein looks like Christmas lights and helps us track brain activity
Termites don’t look like superheroes, but they’re saving the planet.
This idea is really dangerous and stupid but by all means let this person tell you about it for the length of an article.
How to make desertification make emotional sense
Nice study, but the intro is wrong: Darwin did not care about the finches. They were not “an important clue” to him.
Most echinacea supplements “contain mostly rice and buttercup DNA, if they contained any plant material at all”
So, this panel recommended renaming chronic fatigue syndrome without talking to anyone who has it?
Hummingbird’s sweet survival trick: steal from sap suckers!
Seven reasons to care about NASA’s new satellite
How we beat measles in the ’90s — and why that work won’t now.
How the Toronto Star massively botched a story about the HPV vaccine
Serving the public interest: you’re doing it wrong. How press coverage of vaccine refusal makes matters worse.
For pufferfish, motherly love means slathering babies in deadly toxins
These neurotoxic sea slugs are plaguing the coastal waters of Argentina.
What have UN climate talks ever done for us? Here are eight things.
Chimps still stuck in research labs despite promise of retirement
Protein tweak boosts plants’ drought tolerance
Spotlights flip the switch on an evolutionary arms race between bats and moths
Emily Graslie tracks down the glorious bird calls of the Amazon
Two sophisticated mammals—one climbing, one burrowing—from the Jurassic
Red Cross Faces Attacks at Ebola Victims’ Funerals
Dogs recognize the difference between angry and happy humans
Heh/wow/huh
Yeah, this is roughly what I do when I listen to Hozier’s “Take Me To Church”
Wait, how did Spidey get measles on his costume?
A perpetual black whirlpool
Photography captures shot of a drunk gorilla moments before the gorilla punches him out.
6 Famous Paintings That Look Totally Different From Behind
Astronomers Discover New Planet That Really Makes Earth Look Like ****
After 3 Years Of Raising This Panda In Captivity, Researchers Are Finally Releasing Her Into The Open Ocean!
“Jesus heron” isn’t walking on water. It’s surfing on a hippo
“Australia’s oldest man knits mini-sweaters for injured penguins”
Internet/journalism/society
The paradox of the introverted journalist
Seth Mnookin reviews Johann Hari’s return to journalism and finds it wanting
“We’re great the way we are, level-headed self-assessments and all. Stop rewarding them for being jackasses.”
Men are “clearly worse” than women at getting freelance pitches rejected
Don’t plagiarize.
Ewen Callaway talks about using oral history to tell the story of Homo floresiensis
Not Everything Should Be Crowdfunded
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
Environment
- 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?
- 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?
History & Culture
- Strange clues in a Maya temple reveal a fiery political dramaStrange clues in a Maya temple reveal a fiery political drama
- How technology is revealing secrets in these ancient scrollsHow technology is revealing secrets in these ancient scrolls
- Pilgrimages aren’t just spiritual anymore. They’re a workout.Pilgrimages aren’t just spiritual anymore. They’re a workout.
- This ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrificeThis ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrifice
- This ancient cure was just revived in a lab. Does it work?This ancient cure was just revived in a lab. Does it work?
- See how ancient Indigenous artists left their markSee how ancient Indigenous artists left their mark
Science
- Do you have an inner monologue? Here’s what it reveals about you.Do you have an inner monologue? Here’s what it reveals about you.
- Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io has been erupting for billions of yearsJupiter’s volcanic moon Io has been erupting for billions of years
- This 80-foot-long sea monster was the killer whale of its timeThis 80-foot-long sea monster was the killer whale of its time
- Every 80 years, this star appears in the sky—and it’s almost timeEvery 80 years, this star appears in the sky—and it’s almost time
- How do you create your own ‘Blue Zone’? Here are 6 tipsHow do you create your own ‘Blue Zone’? Here are 6 tips
Travel
- This town is the Alps' first European Capital of CultureThis town is the Alps' first European Capital of Culture
- This royal city lies in the shadow of Kuala LumpurThis royal city lies in the shadow of Kuala Lumpur
- This author tells the story of crypto-trading Mongolian nomadsThis author tells the story of crypto-trading Mongolian nomads
