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”
‘Clutching Her Head In A Field’
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.”
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
- 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?
- 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
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
- 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
- Why outdoor adventure is important for women as they ageWhy outdoor adventure is important for women as they age
Travel
- 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
- Slow-roasted meats and fluffy dumplings in the Czech capitalSlow-roasted meats and fluffy dumplings in the Czech capital