As a part of my new year’s resolutions, I’ve decided the bring back Sci-shimi, where I serve up fun science news in a simple link round-up. At the end of every month, I’ll post links to the awesomest nerdy news stories that came out in the past weeks (in no particular order), just in case you missed a few. Like a delicious, fresh platter of sashimi, these tasty links are meant to be shared! どうぞめしあがれ !
This month’s mind-blowing science moment: Black holes with inescapable event horizons? Yeah… no, says Stephen Hawking.
Best long-read: Amy Harmon delves into one politician’s struggle to get the facts straight on GMOs
As if the mermaid “documentaries” weren’t enough to discredit them, turns out Animal Planet treats animals poorly (even illegally). This is NOT OK.
Excellent takedowns of Fukushima myths by Deep Sea News: what really happened, why it’s not killing sea stars or fish (or us for that matter), and why some people think it is (but they’re wrong).
The chemical warfare waged in rain forests might explain their diversity
How does Smaug breathe fire anyhow? Kyle Hill investigates potential mechanisms
Resurrecting 700 year old crustaceans… because, SCIENCE!
And while we’re on crustaceans…
Come for the bat fellatio, stay for the stats!
Sterilizing perfumes—how social insect queens keep their workers in check, and what that tells us about the chemicals involved
Jason Bittel on the moral politics of squirrels and why they’re everywhere
Why do sloths poop on the ground? Good question…
How do you count thousands of fish? Take a look at the water.
You have written Vogon poetry. Reject. #SixWordPeerReview — Ed Yong (@edyong209) January 22, 2014
(and check out the storify!)
Carl Zimmer reveals How We Got On Land, Bone by Bone
The experiment that forever changed how we think about reality—an excellent post by Aatish Bhatia
Does a rain forest begin with rain? Actually… no, explains Robert Krulwich
Don’t feel too special: worms may have more genes than we do.
How spiders tell between dates and dinner
Speaking of spiders…
Anemones that live in ice—you can’t make this stuff up!
Mantis shrimp see like satellites, not in technicolor (sorry!)
Why you should lick toilet seats over cellphones—explaining bacterial contamination (or lack thereof)
Science IS pain, Princess. Anyone that says different is trying to recruit grad students. #PrincessBrideScience — LeighKrietschBoerner (@LeighJKBoerner) January 22, 2014
What if everything had ingredient labels?
Record-setting jar-opening octopus! (if such records exist…)
Rose Eveleth explains why it’s so damn hard to find dinosaur poop
How did life begin? Diving deep into one of the universe’s biggest mysteries
The legality of de-extinction: does a woolly mammoth need a lawyer?
How saving species might doom them, by Ed Yong
A shrew-eating trout! Because life is weird.
A great start to 2014! Can’t wait to see what happens in February…
