Top picks
13.7 billion years ago, the universe was born. 12 billion years ago, a star exploded. Now, we've seen its light.
Guy pees on pregnancy test stick, gets ”yes”; means he has cancer. Note that Maggie Koerth-Baker is a god of explanatory writing
How a guy saved puffins by faking a puffin society – a wonderful story by Michelle Nijhuis
“I faced a choice: Deliver early or risk a stillbirth?” Brave, personal, important piece by Eugenie Reich
Fascinating Nature piece on what an autism diagnosis looks like in countries w/ different cultural norms to the West
Fascinating. What did the 7 scientists quoted in Jonah Lehrer's infamous decline-effect piece think of it? By Virginia Hughes.
“It’s like the Arctic but without the view." Check out the Army's Arctic Simulation Laboratory
Great Katherine Harmon feature on the parasites that infect the parasites that zombify ants.
"I invented taxonomy!" "No, *I* invented taxonomy!" Apparently, Linnaeus often hallucinated a double of himself. By Robert Krulwich.
How staff at NY's aquarium saved their animals... from water.
"As we looked at belly buttons we saw a terrible, yawning, richness of life.” Great piece by Rob Dunn. And we still don't know why Carl Zimmer had Japanese soil bacteria in his bellybutton
“Some of the smaller labs are done.” Devastating piece about how NYU labs are coping in the Sandy aftermath, by Emily Singer.
Behold, Obama's nerd army who simulated the election, again and again.
This guy climbed 103 stories with a bionic leg that he controlled with his mind.
A case of a patented treatment and negative findings gone AWOL. By Neurobonkers
Neil deGrasse Tyson found Krypton, Superman’s home planet.
News/science/writing
Arachnophobic readers, it is *crucial* that you don't click this link. Everyone else: enjoy.
Testing cancer drugs using a lung-on-a-chip. (That's microchip. Not potato chip. Don't put lungs on potato chips, kids)
New carnivorous harp sponge discovered in deep sea
Hey, remember when the Universe worked hard and churned out loads of stars, before it turned into a cosmic slacker? Why star formation is coming to a halt.
Two Moriguchi stem cell papers being retracted
Malaria vaccine gives disappointing results
Working out who’s top dog - how the brain interprets information about social hierarchy
Contest to scan the genomes of sick children, with bonus points for clear explanation
Amazing: Microsoft turns spoken English into spoken Mandarin in speaker’s own voice.
Maggie Koerth-Baker asks James Watson some tough questions on the Double Helix & his changing view of Rosalind Franklin
Insect-eating sundew plant heals wounds and inspires tech.
Neuroskeptic makes history as the first blogger to publish a paper in academic journal under his blog pseudonym. Also, check out Fig 1. I love that this is in an academic journal.
Pain matters. "Steve's condition first came to light when he... chewed off part of his tongue without noticing."
What's it like to vote from space?
California rejects GMO-labelled Prop 37. Scientists cheer.
With this app, your iPhone will truly know your heart
$31m trial of chelation therapy comes under fire. "No scientific rationale..." "Waste of money and time"
Field trials of DSM-V - an update to THE psychiatric tome - inflame the controversy. Basically, the DSM-V is like the DSM-IV except everything’s done with 20-sided dice and the thief is now a “rogue”. Or something.
Good comment piece on how scientists must expand the range of animals they study
Giraffes in the Serengeti have a 13% chance of being clawed by lions
“I truly believe work w/these animals will bring a dramatic revolution in medicine.” On blind mole rats and cancer.
Cockatoo shows tool-making skills
Dammit all to hell: Laos approves Xayaburi 'mega' dam on Mekong
95.7% of people in plane crashes survive. (Of course, some end up on a mysterious island or are eaten by wolves. The rest are Liam Neeson)
Curmudgeons meet stats, soil themselves.
A peek inside a collection of bizarre skulls. Love the gaboon viper
Science: "we’re not humble by nature... we need to have humility formally imposed on us"
Ash dieback: Government faces possible legal action as disease now found at 52 locations
"A spider said hello to me." Oliver Sacks on hallucinations. The end is fantastic
Heh/wow/huh
WTF? Obama did what now? Oh. I see.
This is *wonderful*. A map of regional UK names for woodlice
Everything is good again. Baby koala sitting in a teacup.
Holding out for five-sigma, particle physicists still not ready to call the election.
After Obama Victory, Shrieking White-Hot Sphere Of Pure Rage is Early GOP Front-Runner For 2016
Two men + two Tesla coils + special suits = ELECTRICITY FIGHT!
Drunk User Tests Windows 8
The Natural History Museum in London has a flesh-eating beetle room. Here's what goes on in there
Restore your will to live with the bristlecone pine, a tree that looks like it was made out of oil paints
When trolling goes wrong
Internet/journalism/society
Apparently, the act of patent trolling has itself been patented. Chris Mims on the most ludicrous patents.
Ivan Oransky calls bullshit on the journal Pediatrics for abusing the embargo system
Blogger gives decent but mixed review to Michelin restaurant. Chef + mates bully him off Twitter.
The word "nerd" has been inappropriately defined, say angry nerds.
Bad journalism provides a strategic disadvantage for people who follow it.
The worst piece of science reporting in a while. It’s from the Register. They probably think it’s funny.
”Researchers: Stop the spin & boasting in articles.” And journos, let’s stop enabling them.
Can you erase all trace of a reviled person?
Beware, Luxembourg! Britain has invaded 90% of all the countries in the world at some point
