I’ve Got Your Missing Links Right Here (6 February 2016)
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Top picks
From me at The Atlantic:
“You are worthy”: Melissa Wilson Sayres’ wonderful letter to students, on the subject of harassment.
Beautifully written piece on how body clocks affect our medicines, by Jessa Gamble
How to See a Famine Before It Starts: a really interesting Robinson Meyer piece on an oddly low-tech forecasting system
Very good explainer on the past, present, and future of Zika by Julie Beck; a list of questions that need to be answered, by Helen Branswell; and a list of conspiracy theories, by Tara Smith
Twitter Nerd-Fight Reveals a Long, Bizarre Scientific Feud. Great story from Matt Simon
An interview with me on my career and science writing
An often beautiful piece about veterans and parrots helping each other through PTSD, by Charles Seibert. Some weirdness in the quotes (social neurons? all vertebrates have compassion?) but the story’s great.
Professor Who Helped Expose Water Crisis in Flint Says Public Science Is Broken
Helen Shen writes about the next generation of flexible robots
Welcome back to Rose Eveleth’s wonderful podcast about the future, now called Flash Forward.
Mammoth wasn’t served at the 1951 Explorers’ Club dinner. Nor was ground sloth. A wonderful detective story, by Eric Boodman
Science
“Movies are more likely to portray men’s stalking as charming and women’s as crazy.”
The Embarrassing, Destructive Fight over Biotech’s Big Breakthrough
Baby giraffes are calculating thieves
The 6 most evidence-based teaching methods are ignored in most teacher training texts
On the neuroscience of free will
“You could eat a snow leopard from its nose to its tail and still have aching joints.”
Biotech giant publishes failures to confirm high-profile science in new online channel for reproducibility.
CDC to women: PROTECT YOUR WOMB FROM THE DEMON DRINK.
This botany experiment has been running for 137 years, and won’t end until 2100
Snowed in at NASA, Keeping Watch Over a Space Colossus
Tori Herridge is fronting a documentary on the megaflood that separated Britain from Europe. UK viewers can catch it on Saturday at 8pm on Channel 4
How not to get killed by a cow
Vaginal microbe transplants for C-section babies? Maybe, but tiny sample, only partial “restoration” of microbiome, and no idea about long-term effects
Embarrassing error in ancient African genome, but a win for data-sharing, and a laudable mea culpa from the authors.
Lions and elephants and bears, oh my. Inside a sanctuary for retired performance animals and rescued illegal pets
When it comes to dinosaurs, how do you define the ‘biggest‘?
Imported American raccoons are threatening Japan’s wild raccoon-dogs
Does the Loneliest Plant in the World Need Help?
How power naps are related to near-death experiences
The latest ugly story of sexual misconduct in science & the system that failed to prevent it
This is total nonsense. It’s not a quagga, it’s a differently striped zebra. And the final quotes make no sense.
HFEA approves UK scientist to edit genomes of human embryos.
Miscellaneous
Unexpected rise in suicide rates among UK women; important post from the Samaritans
Mouse in the museum finds the one thing designed to kill it, crawls inside it and dies.
A robot designed to annoy telemarketers.
The Atlantic wins Magazine of the Year at the Ellies
“Finally, a government agency that tells me, to the letter, exactly what to do with my body.”
“I definitely need media training but check this out…”
Go Further
Animals
- How can we protect grizzlies from their biggest threat—trains?How can we protect grizzlies from their biggest threat—trains?
- 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?
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
- This tomb diver was among the first to swim beneath a pyraamidThis tomb diver was among the first to swim beneath a pyraamid
- Dina Macki on Omani cuisine and Zanzibari flavoursDina Macki on Omani cuisine and Zanzibari flavours
- How to see Mexico's Baja California beyond the beachesHow to see Mexico's Baja California beyond the beaches
- Could Mexico's Chepe Express be the ultimate slow rail adventure?Could Mexico's Chepe Express be the ultimate slow rail adventure?