Welcome to Sci-shimi, my monthly roundup of great science online! 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: Gravitational waves—remnants of the birth of the universe—detected for the first time. Read how the discovery is exciting physicists, challenging old models, and leaving us in awe. (also, Sean Carroll’s excellent take, and follow up piece, When Nature looks unnatural.)
Best long-read: How malaria defeats our drugs, by Ed Yong
How animals see the world, beautiful visuals from Elizabeth Preston
Genes and the Environment—Emily Willingham explains what these words really mean
Wolves saving Yellowstone? Not so fast, explains Emily Gertz
Real unicorns—Carl Zimmer on narwhal tusks
Why feeding sharks anything—even feeding them invasive lionfish—is a bad idea
Poisoning our pets—how prescriptions affect our furry friends, by Deborah Blum
Clash of the Tiny—One Pushy Squirrel & the Turf War for LA by Jason Goldman
Pet reptiles and the dangers of Salmonella
Mosquitos are the deadliest animals on Earth—should we kill them all? Radiolab investigates
Spectacular fossils of Jurassic chromosomes
Bats verbally fight for dinner
Ed at TED (not for the squeamish)
Drug-resistant infections are one the rise, especially in kids, by Maryn McKenna
Deep thoughts on yellow snow, from Malcolm Campbell
The incredible evolution of trilobites
Black, flowing lava—the dark (and beautiful) dangers of geology
Shrinking salamanders, one of the many small effects of climate change
The best diet? Real food, explains James Hamblin
“I was mystified at the bull’s poor attempt to hide – until it dawned on me that he wasn’t trying to hide his body, he was hiding his tusks. At once, I was incredibly impressed, and incredibly sad – impressed that he should have the understanding that his tusks could put him in danger, but so sad at what that meant.” –Mark Deeble
The largest ever land predator? New fossil makes T. rex look teeny
The Guardian gives the Great Barrier Reef an obituary
Will the newest court ruling really stop Japanese whaling?
Incredible images of a blowfly in flight
Oh the irony: homeopathic medicine recalled because it contained actual medicine
Doctors implant a 3D-printed skull
The science behind a 68 million ton landslide in Alaska
Joe Hanson explains why the first human never existed:
Peacocks fake sex noises to get laid
Fascinating look at the evolution of flightless birds, by Darren Naish
Water everywhere, but not a drop for the sea snake to drink. Ed Yong explains how these animals from the land that live off of freshwater survive in a saltwater world
How our obsession with looks has made the strawberry less tasty, by Ferris Jabr
Epigenetic consequences of marijuana
Modern medicine ruins classic children’s books
Endangered Hawaiian geese, called Nene, spotted on Oahu for the first time in centuries!
If our blood used Copper instead of Iron, turning it green, I wonder what color we would have made stop lights & stop signs.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) March 14, 2014
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