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
- 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
- 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
- The benefits of eating the peels on your fruits and veggiesThe benefits of eating the peels on your fruits and veggies
Travel
- 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