And yet already we arrive at time for our monthly round-up of links to items we thought interesting, and you might too.
Science, Technology, Natural World
A new dinosaur species has been discovered on the Isle of Wight.
There’s a crack squad of hunters keeping the island of Jersey free of the invasive Asian Hornets (above). And no these aren’t the “murder hornets” which are invading the west coast of North America which are even nastier.
Scientists are taking another look at just when animals like foxes started living alongside humans. [££££]
A new study is finding clues to when masturbation evolved in primates – because it isn’t just humans that indulge.
Palaeontologists believe that Homo naledi in South Africa may have made etchings on cave walls and buried its dead. [££££]
Well now this (isn’t) surprising … it seems that air quality filters are picking up airborne DNA which reveals what species are nearby.
Changing tack somewhat … the US is being urged to reveal its UFO evidence amid (more) claims it has intact alien vehicles.
Meanwhile the “gateway to the underworld” megaslump in Siberia is revealing secrets from 650,000 year old permafrost.
And back to humans … there’s a myth that we use only 10% of our brain, but it is just a myth. [££££]
Health, Medicine
Here are nine things you probably didn’t know about saliva.
Also from the Zoe Health Study, here’s a look at the importance of bile.
Sexuality
Some curious scientist has taken an in-depth look at the condition known as “Blue Balls“, and discovered some interesting things about sexuality.
Who knew that until fairly recently many countries officially provided whores for wartime soldiers near the battlefield? No, it isn’t much known and talked about. And it wasn’t just in wartime.
Social Sciences, Business, Law, Politics
England is apparently going to trial providing a “universal basic income“. The trial will be in just two places with a very small number of people for two years, so don’t hold your breath.
One historian is suggesting that we’re on the brink of civil war – the US in particular but the Western world in general – but that we can avert it if we wake up. [LONG READ]
Art, Literature, Language, Music
So who actually knew there were officially many shades of black? [LONG READ]
History, Archaeology, Anthropology
Archaeologists have found evidence of plague in Britain 4,000 years ago. And it is being suggested this might be the reason the culture and people who built Stonehenge suddenly vanished from the record.
A stunning 3,000 year old bronze sword (above) has been found in a Bronze Age grave in Bavaria.
Cricket clubs don’t generally expect to be the custodians of several Roman gods’ heads.
Also with the Romans, a stunning mausoleum has been discovered on a building site in Southwark.
Here’s the story of St Ursula and the 11,000 virgin martyrs. [LONG READ]
Minstrels played an important role in medieval society, and it is now being appreciated that their work could be mad, bad and bawdy.
A pair of shipwrecks full of Ming era porcelain in the South China Sea are telling us a lot about the historic Silk Road trade routes.
Myths based in medieval goings-on are not always accurate. Here’s the case of the Fowlmere Tunnel. [LONG READ]
Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs
And finally for this edition, here are 13 signals all cat owners should recognise. [LONG READ]
