The submissions are now in for The Open Laboratory 2011, an anthology of the best science blogging of the year. There are 721 great science posts in the chase for 52 slots in the anthology! I'm more than flattered that four of my posts were nominated. Three of them are already here on the Scientific American Blog Network: How Do You ID A Dead Osama?, Why Do Women Cry? and Mythbusting 101: Organic > Conventional Agriculture. So this is the last of the four posts which might get a coveted spot among the best science blog posts of the year, originally posted on my old blog in January. Enjoy!
Sexual assault is no laughing matter - unless, of course, the would-be rapist isn't human. Who doesn't giggle when they see a small dog humping someone's leg? But what many people don't realize is that reverse bestiality - where an animal makes unwanted sexual advances on a person - is a true problem for scientists working in the field where the actions of wild animals are completely unpredictable.
