I’ve Got Your Missing Links Right Here (9 May 2015)
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Top picks
“Test results were chilling: The inside of Dr. Crozier’s eye was teeming with Ebola.” By Denise Grady
Meet the worm with the fractal nose glove. By Kyle Hill.
3-D printed rhino horns are a great example of tech “solving” problems it doesn’t understand. By Rachel Nuwer.
The history of (hypothetical) human head transplants. By Erika Engelhaupt
Empathy cards for people w/ serious illness. These are amazing & the sentiment behind them is so important.
You will not spot the snow leopard here. You won’t.
NatGeo profile of Pamela Ronald and her attempts to mend the rift between organic farmers and genetic engineers.
Just outside Reading, England, lies the greenhouse that has been built to save chocolate for the world. By Nicola Twilley.
“An avalanche of unnecessary medical care is harming patients physically and financially.” Atul Gawande on the critical problem of overdiagnosis.
2,147,483,647—the number that downed spacecraft and broke YouTube, Gangnam Style. A fascinating look at a problematic computing glitch, by Chris Baraniuk
The Central African Republic has gone from a million elephants to a few thousand. A tragic read from Peter Canby .
Science/news/writing
Why Scientists Are Upset About The Facebook Filter Bubble Study
Amazing bracelet, associated with Denisovans
Invasive species might not be entirely awful, after all. Sometimes. Depending. Maybe.
“Lizard of great sleepiness” about to sleep permanently.
Octopuses have no rhythm, unlike every other animal, except possibly for that guy, you know that guy.
Lizards in Long-Term Relationships Can Skip the Foreplay
SHARK, a great new BBC documentary about… well, you know.
The thing about gastrulation: it’s important to remember that all of us started life as an a***hole.
Scientists stumble across previously unknown variety of pluripotent stem cell
A mysterious lake disappears down a hole
Mammoth genomes provide recipe for creating Arctic elephants
“In April, Joshua Quick boarded a plane to Guinea with three genetic sequencers packed in his luggage.”
Word of the day: “imping“. The act of implanting feathers back into injured birds of prey.
“Is Captive Lion Hunting Really Helping to Save the Species?” Spoiler: no.
Glowing millipedes evolved bioluminescence first to cope with heat and drought, and THEN as warnings to predators.
Taking a picture of thunder
Spraying spiders w/graphene & carbon nanotubes makes them spin stronger silk—if they survive
Rare African plant signals diamonds beneath the soil
Will Tesla’s battery change the energy market? An explainer.
“We may not understand precisely why [he] chose to insert the bladder of a pig into a patient’s chest & inflate [it]”
An interview with Nick Lane about how life on Earth probably began
“That bird feeder in your yard? It’s a problem.”
An incredible photo series of a subadult hippo tossing a newborn into the air:
No, Smartphones Aren’t Making Children Autistic
RIP Alexander Rich, who confirmed DNA’s double helix.
David Hughes’ TEDx talk on ants laying siege to cocoa
“He had to open his own abdomen to take his intestines out. He didn’t know if that was humanly possible.”
BBC radio programme on the struggle to find meaning when a loved one has dementia.
Scientists solve evolutionary mystery of the evolution of the shark penis
Inside a pangolin “prison”: The mammal has become the most highly traded on black market—and one of most threatened
No one is exactly sure why over 100 lakes have formed amongst the tallest sand dunes on Earth
Heh/wow/huh
“Why aren’t I very, very, very, very, very, very, very famous and successful?” Every Q in every Q&A session ever
Explosive Splattered Ink Animal Paintings
Museum Of Repressed American History Conceals New Exhibit On Tuskegee Experiments
Above all else, you can count on the British to be morbidly self-deprecating even in the face of awfulness.
“World Wildlife Fund Now Just Trying To Get Few Nice Photos Of Every Species For Posterity”
These whale jaws are a Danish monument
Internet/journalism/society
“You have to love the words more than anything” – Warren Ellis on life as a freelancer, 25 yrs on
Quentin Blake’s Great Ormond Street ‘end of life’ gift for families of dying children
A history of pen names and reasons behind them.
What happens when a Kickstarter fails to deliver and its backers get angry
Congrats! You have an all male panel.
“If you’re not a feminist, then you’re a problem.”
A new blog where writers make charming lists of things they like
Go Further
Animals
- These 'trash fish' are among Earth's most primitive animalsThese 'trash fish' are among Earth's most primitive animals
- These photos are works of art—and the artists are bugsThese photos are works of art—and the artists are bugs
- The epic migration of a 6-foot long, 200-pound catfishThe epic migration of a 6-foot long, 200-pound catfish
- Frans de Waal, biologist who studied animal emotion, dies at 75Frans de Waal, biologist who studied animal emotion, dies at 75
Environment
- Are synthetic diamonds really better for the planet? The answer isn't clear-cut.Are synthetic diamonds really better for the planet? The answer isn't clear-cut.
- 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?
- The most dangerous job? Inside the world of underwater weldersThe most dangerous job? Inside the world of underwater welders
- The harrowing flight that wild whooping cranes make to surviveThe harrowing flight that wild whooping cranes make to survive
History & Culture
- Meet the powerful yokai that inspired the demon king in ‘Demon Slayer’Meet the powerful yokai that inspired the demon king in ‘Demon Slayer’
- A surprising must-wear for European monarchs? Weasels.A surprising must-wear for European monarchs? Weasels.
- Meet the woman who made Polaroid into a cultural iconMeet the woman who made Polaroid into a cultural icon
- Inside the observatory that birthed modern astrophysicsInside the observatory that birthed modern astrophysics
Science
- LED light treatments for skin are trendy—but do they actually work?LED light treatments for skin are trendy—but do they actually work?
- NASA smashed an asteroid. The debris could hit Mars.NASA smashed an asteroid. The debris could hit Mars.
- Humans really can have superpowers—scientists are studying themHumans really can have superpowers—scientists are studying them
- Why engineers are concerned about aging infrastructureWhy engineers are concerned about aging infrastructure
Travel
- 2024 will be huge for astrotourism—here’s how to plan your trip2024 will be huge for astrotourism—here’s how to plan your trip
- Play and stay in the mountains of eastern Nevada
- Paid Content
Play and stay in the mountains of eastern Nevada - This couple quit the city to grow wasabi in Japan's mountainsThis couple quit the city to grow wasabi in Japan's mountains