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ScienceSeeker Editor's Selections: Neuronal Migration, Saying "I Love You", Worm VR, and Light-up Sharks

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


Here are my Science Seeker Editor's Selections for the past week:

At BishopBlog, Dorothy Bishop discusses a popular theory in the development of language and reading disorders: that there are genes implicated in such learning impairments that affect a process in the developing brain called "neuronal migration."

Who Says ‘I Love You’ First? At the PsychCentral blog "Healing Together," Suzanne Phillips discusses some unexpected findings.


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"Using a little optogenetic trickery," writes the blogger at The Cellular Scale, "you can directly activate specific worm neurons with light." It's a whole 'nother kind of virtual reality (for worms).

Who invented autism? A nice, brief history from Neuroskeptic.

Sharks have lighter undersides than top sides. This provides camouflage against the light shining down from the ocean's surface. But at different points in the water column, are varying amounts of light. Wouldn't it be useful for sharks to alter the color of their skin depending on how deep they are? Doctor Zen describes a shark that does just that.

Jason G. Goldman is a science journalist based in Los Angeles. He has written about animal behavior, wildlife biology, conservation, and ecology for Scientific American, Los Angeles magazine, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the BBC, Conservation magazine, and elsewhere. He contributes to Scientific American's "60-Second Science" podcast, and is co-editor of Science Blogging: The Essential Guide (Yale University Press). He enjoys sharing his wildlife knowledge on television and on the radio, and often speaks to the public about wildlife and science communication.

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