This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
I have dug through the Internet this week and uncovered all this geeky goodness. You can find the thousands of links from previous weeks here.
I have marked my favorite links with a ?. Enjoy.
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Science to Read, Write, and Watch
We might get a jump on the next virus to challenge humanity if we create a catalog of ALL THE VIRUSES
?Jellyfish: The gooey menace that is taking over our oceans. It's way worse than I thought
When plants that were shaped like human body parts were thought to help that body part
"There may be things we will never know, but will be compelled to keep asking. That's the beauty of science."
And just like that, a one-eyed (or infected?) jaguar kills a crocodile from the bank like the reptile would a wildebeest
?You haven't seen anything scarier than the 10-foot bobbit worm. It's like " dangerous rainbow from Mario Kart"
HFCS is not poison, and other myths you probably believe
Searching the solar system for a perfect solar eclipse
"I feel it. I breathe it. I listen to evolution. I write, study, scrutinize and collect evolution. I am evolution."
Was Diana Nyad really at risk of being bitten during her historic swim? (Spoiler: Not really)
Sometimes on those crappy photo compilation websites you get a good post. This animal camouflage post is one of them
?What dinosaur tails pressed into mud 200 million years ago can tell us about their behavior
It had to be said: The Biased Views of Hank Green and SciShow on GMO food
If every element came into contact simultaneously...it would be pretty boring
We aren't the only mammals who tan
Does Everybody Have Chronic Lyme Disease? Does Anyone?
?Ever thought of your life as a fractal? This post on chaos theory was wonderful
82% of parents who didn’t vaccinate their children cited worries about side effects, so we did a study and found none.
What creature built this mini, silky, Isengard? Really, we have no idea.
?What is the LD50 for papers explaining what LD50 is?
"Zombies," like the 1996 WHO report on acupuncture, just won't die even though we slayed them before
You'd lift off the ground before you went fast enough to kill yourself via speed bump
A frog no bigger than a dime might use its skull as an amplifier
?Controlling the Leidenfrost effect to kick off the underground water droplet race scene? Really cool video
As Dr. Eugenie Scott steps down, let's remember how much of the good fight she has fought
Meet the students who are standing up for science around the country
I don't believe in science, I don't have to. There's evidence
What is the "uncanny valley," really? Should it instead be a cliff? Does it even exist?
?"Toning" is a myth, exercise is largely unimportant for weight loss, and why it's so hard to "get ripped"
Just what are "fairy circles"? Termites, plants, fire-breathing dirt dragons?
"Is it just me, or is it really hot in here? Oh, it's not just me?" How honeybees decide to cool off.
The history behind prescribing Traditional Chinese Medicine for the flu, and why it won't work
?Nature preserves an extinct bee with the flower that loved to paint it
Nerdery at its Finest
Nothing quite like old school animatronics: Making the "chestburster"
?How did this worker approach this fuel mass at Chernobyl without dying a horrible death? The gems you find in physics forums...
I love popular web browsers and sites drawn as manga characters
?YES. SHARKNADO COSPLAY
Very cool: A map of 870,062 scientific papers from the arXiv
NASA can be a serious parking lot jerk
?A well-written article about how cow-tipping is practically impossible (checked the calculations myself!)
Ultimate "fake geek girl" idiocy.
Pop Culture Happenings
Yes, this is exactly why I can't stand writing emails
Married to a Doll: Why One Man Advocates Synthetic Love. How can you not read it?
?The delightful nostalgia rush of watching Jason Alexander teach Larry David how to play himself
When an artist decides to trace a whole room with a LED and a long-exposure camera, beauty ensues
So...You REALLY don't want to piss off the Russian Spetsnaz
That thing where you accidentally build a skyscraper that focuses sunlight into a car-melting beam
You know who really sucks at math? People who think biology explains why there aren't more women in computer science
The secret (and amazing) "fore-edge" paintings revealed in early 19th century books
GIFs and Images to Wear-Out Your WOW Box
?The only sensible liquid to fill a balloon with is mercury
Answer every comment you like in a thread with this peacock spider GIF
Beauty above destruction: Hurricane Ivan from the ISS
?RUN! BIRDS USE KNIVES NOW
Damn you brain making this center square look as though it has a gradient!
Perhaps Jesus' whole water into wine gag was the iodine clock chemistry demo...
?At a low temperature and with a bit of seed crystal, you can amazingly transform a brick of pure (beta) tin
Sure, tap a keg with explosive rope
This is my favorite "elephant toothpaste" foam reaction so far
I would like to see the x-ray of this impossible limbo attempt
?Seeing a nuclear blast's shockwave push aside vaporized debris is arresting
I love honeybee warning signs.