I’ve Got Your Missing Links Right Here (13 February 2016)
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Top picks:
From me at the Atlantic:
- Natural History Museums Are Teeming With Undiscovered Species
- Why You Can’t Keep Cockroaches Out of Your Home
- This Bacterium Acts Like a One-Cell Eyeball
- The Bitter Fight Over the Benefits of Bilingualism
- The Link Between Neanderthal DNA and Depression Risk
NASA has built a rock collection so its rovers can practice punching holes in Mars. Wonderful Nadia Drake story.
Sad story about the genuine harm that terrible press releases can inflict on vulnerable people. By Ivan Oransky
Is Toxoplasma driving chimps towards leopards? By Carl Zimmer
These Scientists Saw Zika Coming. Now They’re Fighting Back. Superb colourful reporting by Sarah Zhang
“Scientists have identified neural pathways that react almost exclusively to the sound of music — any music.” By Natalie Angier
You can train your body into thinking it’s had medicine. Two amazing stories from Jo Marchant.
Another tragedy of sexual harassment, this time in anthropology. Reported by Michael Balter; with commentary from Azeen Ghorayshi who broke the first of the recent spate of stories.
Human evolution is more a muddy delta than a branching tree. By John Hawks
Scientists finally detected gravitational waves. Nicola Twilley has a beautiful story about how it happened and what it means. Nadia Drake has a shorter but equally good explainer, and also talks about the rumour-mongering that preceded the announcement. Allan Adams writes about the sound of gravitational waves. And Rachel Feltman has the most delightful story coming out of the discovery: “This is actually the second time she’s broken an embargo with a cake.”
Science
Some troubling data oddities in a money priming study
Does it take too long to publish research? (Spoiler: yes)
A rare albino turtle hatches
“Space is hard. Engines are hard.” “Zero gravity fun time is over now.”
“We want to… guide lampreys’ movements by manipulating the landscape of fear and opportunity.”
No, an Indian man wasn’t killed by a meteorite. Sit in the corner, media sites, and think about what you’ve done
This week’s Flash Forward: what would it take to get sex robots?
New study suggests sleep deprivation markedly increases false confessions
What will it take to get plastics out of the ocean?
How the Fight Over Transgender Kids Got a Leading Sex Researcher Fired
Scientists make artificial tissue with commercial cotton candy machine
Johns Hopkins to Perform First HIV-Positive Organ Transplants in US (to HIV-positive patients, obviously)
Fighting cancer with cancer
This parasite hasn’t had sex in 10,000 years and it still probably gets more action than you.
Scientists will sequence the genome of every kakapo to find the gene for shagging Mark Carwardine’s head.
Hidden Epidemic of Fatal Infections Linked to Heart Surgeries
How would you actually prove that Zika causes birth defects?
“I freeze first. Then try to escape. Only later do I consider avoid, fight, retaliate.”
DarkFly! Flies reared in the dark for 60 years give up their genetic secrets
A Skeptic Infiltrates a Cruise for Conspiracy Theorists
150,000 penguins die after giant iceberg renders colony landlocked
On video games and aggression.
Miscellaneous
Where are the women in science journalism? The Science Byline Counting Project
Palaeontologists, I have big news for you
A site that offers free access to academic papers moves to the dark web
Yep, all the time
Go Further
Animals
- Cougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treksCougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treks
- Rare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginningRare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginning
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- Termite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million yearsTermite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million years
Environment
- Why the 2024 hurricane season could be especially activeWhy the 2024 hurricane season could be especially active
- Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.
- This deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the worldThis deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the world
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- This exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the worldThis exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the world
History & Culture
- See the story of Jonah and the whale like never beforeSee the story of Jonah and the whale like never before
- This ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the pastThis ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the past
- These are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit themThese are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit them
- Meet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius CaesarMeet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius Caesar
Science
- Women’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to changeWomen’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to change
- Hundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right nowHundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right now
- What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.
Travel
- A taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street foodA taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street food
- Discover southeastern Spain's secret coastal regionDiscover southeastern Spain's secret coastal region
- All aboard Norway's slow train under the midnight sunAll aboard Norway's slow train under the midnight sun