I’ve Got Your Missing Links Right Here (19 March 2016)
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Top picks
From me at The Altantic:
- How Corrupt Societies Corrupt the Behavior of their Citizens
- Babies Are More Reflective Than We Thought
- The Weird Stories Behind America’s Official State Fossils
- Solving the Mystery of the Tully Monster
- What Causes These Mysterious Fairy Circles?
Welcome to the CRISPR zoo. A look to the future, from Sara Reardon.
A New 50-Trillion-Pixel Image of Earth, Every Day. By Robinson Meyer
“We’re looking back 13.4 billion years, through 97 percent of all time, to the galaxy when it was forming.” By Nadia Drake.
Ego depletion, another prominent psychological theory, may just have been debunked. Great coverage by Dan Engber.
1 Across: Passing someone else’s work or ideas as one’s own (10). By Jessie Guy-Ryan
The quest to save the world’s coral reefs. By Meehan Crist
Most popular theories of consciousness are worse than wrong. In which Michael Graziano talks about phlegm a lot.
Rose Eveleth imagines a future with no pets.
Delightful: “My Dinosaur’s Jet Lag Helps Explain Why a Time Change Is Hard.” By Heather Murphy
Things that can spread conjunctivitis: scuba masks and tiny flies. By Rebecca Kreston.
How gender neutral is “guys,” you guys? By Stan Carey
Under Pressure: Will Deep-Sea Animals Explode or Implode on the Surface? The answer is neither, and the reasons are really interesting. By Craig McClain.
It’s Okay to Cry at Work: fascinating on the biology of crying, by Olga Khazan
Meet the winners of the 2016 Wellcome Image Awards
Science
Good grief. The microbiome nonsense engine is firing on all cylinders.
No one deserves this prize more than Carl Zimmer. Congrats, mate.
R2D2 and C-3PO are the first ever grey seal pup twins found in the wild
Methane has never looked so beautiful
“It’s arms crawl away from each other until [its] insides spill out.”
Lab-grown brain balls something something Zika but seriously brain-balls
American Statistical Association issues statement about p-values, but is it significant?
With womb transplants a reality, transgender women dare to dream of pregnancies
‘Essential’ genes may not be so essential after all
New research shows how Zika could be causing microcephaly
Genetic denialism is unhelpful – genes play a role in who we are
This student adds a woman in science to Wikipedia every time she’s harassed online
Did you know that ants flow like melted cheese?
Science Question From A Toddler: Why Am I Right-Handed?
Ambry’s putting (aggregated) genetic information from 10,000 customers with ovarian cancer into a publicly open database. A win for open science.
On the great unknowns in deep-sea mining.
“My first reaction was just utter confusion followed by anger.” On conflicts of interest among genetic counselors
Half of inventions “arise unexpectedly” from serendipity—not direct research
For self-defense, these plants build armor out of sand.
No, We Can’t “Upload Knowledge To Your Brain”
Pathological joking is a thing
Why you forget what you came for when you enter the room
Meet the Tiny, Parasitic “Corpse Flower” That Smells Like Coconuts
Is do-it-yourself CRISPR as scary as it sounds? Stat gets five perspectives.
5 strange disease outbreaks that still puzzle scientists
Does knowing genetic risk actually motivate people to make healthier choices? Nope.
Don’t think about a polar bear.
Bonobos just want everyone to get along
Should All Research Papers Be Free?
One horse-sized tyrannosaur or a hundred tyrannosaur-sized horses…
Warthogs let mongooses eat ticks off their bodies
The CRISPR patent fight has begun — and it’s not pretty
Scientists infected people with dengue — and see it as a model to beat back Zika
An invisible illness: dysphagia, or the inability to swallow. “It’s like being constantly waterboarded”
‘Sci fi’ eye experiments improve vision in children — and rabbits
“That would seem to imply that he wasn’t best placed to represent humanity this week” –
How one male spider defends itself against sexual cannibalism
Giant Flesh-Eating Koala of Legend Was Real.
“We are really reaching the limits of what is possible.” 430,000 year old DNA details dawn of Neanderthals.
Miscellaenous
Reminder: you don’t own your ebooks
“You know what else has an earthy, bitter note? Lies about bay leaves.”
Amazing drone images of swarms of sharks spotted at a Seychelles atoll
The future will be quiet. Fascinating, if US-centric, piece
The long, slow death of Twitter
Applicants should “enjoy being under the spotlight”. That is the opposite of ninja.
Sky gradients on Instagram: how “a silly joke became a serious habit.”
Go Further
Animals
- 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?
- This pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilienceThis pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilience
Environment
- 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
- 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?
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
- The real spies who inspired ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’The real spies who inspired ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’
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?
- Can aspirin help protect against colorectal cancers?Can aspirin help protect against colorectal cancers?
Travel
- What it's like to hike the Camino del Mayab in MexicoWhat it's like to hike the Camino del Mayab in Mexico
- Is this small English town Yorkshire's culinary capital?Is this small English town Yorkshire's culinary capital?
- This chef is taking Indian cuisine in a bold new directionThis chef is taking Indian cuisine in a bold new direction
- Follow in the footsteps of Robin Hood in Sherwood ForestFollow in the footsteps of Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest