Yet another selection of amusing, interesting and/or absurd articles you may have missed …
It appears none of us would be here if it weren’t for a virus which invaded a gene which controls the development of the placenta. Carl Zimmer reports.

It’s not every day we find a new mammal. Let alone right under our noses. The Machu Picchu arboreal chinchilla rat (Cuscomys oblativa) was thought extinct, but has been discovered alive and well. How do we lose a cat-sized mammal?
We all know cats love boxes. But cats don’t just love boxes; cats may NEED boxes for their wellbeing.

Arachnophobia is (one of) the most common fears we have. Because all spiders are hairy, scary and lethal, right? But just how dangerous are Britain’s household spiders? Spoiler: not very.
From the journal of “why didn’t we think of this before?” here’s a very simple way to control the spread of invasive plants.
While on plants, another piece on why leaves change colour in autumn.
Peaches. Flavourful but fuzzy. Except when they’re nectarines. It seems the nectarine is a peach with just one modified gene which removes the fuzziness.
While we’re mentioning flavour, and thus taste … Are you a supertaster? Don’t know? Here’s how to find out.
Now, one of the great British arguments … How to make tea: milk first or last? I’m a milk first man, and it seems science agrees. Probably.
Now, at last, we leave science behind for lifestyle …
Nikola Novak on the enjoyment of being naked.
A real-life Romanian prostitute working in Amsterdam’s Red Light District tells us why the Nordic model for eradicating prostitution can never work.

Long before we had browsers we had books. And right from the beginning books needed bookmarks. Erik Kwakkel shows us some medieval bookmarks.
Just for amusement, here’s another paper creation: a life-sized articulated velociraptor.

Finally, Pope Francis has made the most sensible pronouncement by any Pope for a long time: “I believe in guardian angels … and everyone should listen to their advice”.

Another selection of amusing, and even interesting, articles you may have missed …
It’s that time of year when the IgNobel prizes — for research that makes you laugh and then think — are awarded. This year the recipients included research on the slipperiness of banana skins and …
… this mind-boggling report on controlling nose-bleeds with tampons of bacon.
Equally topically here’s a piece on the chemicals behind the colours of autumn leaves.

And while we’re on colours, it seems we’re all striped, with Blaschko’s Lines, it’s just that they only show in some rare medical conditions. It looks to me as if they may also be related to birth-marks.
Prof. Alice Roberts has a new book out: The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being; a masterful account of why our bodies are the way they are. Here’s a review by Adam Rutherford in the Guardian and here’s my review.
So you think you know where babies come from? Here’s Alice Roberts herself on the way in which our understanding of the making of babies has developed since Aristotle.
Recent research is suggesting that modern European genetic codes are made up from those of three ancient “tribes” which intermingled a bit less than 7000 years ago.
Just for a little more variety, Mick Jagger has had the 19-million-year-old species of extinct water nymph Jaggermeryx naida — Jagger’s water nymph — named after him. Apparently it is long legged and has a “highly innervated muzzle with mobile and tactile lips”.
Rewilding Britain: bringing wolves, bears and beavers back to the land. Should we? Or shouldn’t we?
So Jack the Ripper has been identified as Aaron Kosminski using DNA analysis. Or has he? Ted Scheinman isn’t convinced, and neither am I. This is research which needs to be peer reviewed and published in the scientific literature.
Next up a piece by Maryn McKenna in praise of her anonymous kitchen knife.
Paperclips! Love them or loathe them, they’re here to stay. The stories behind five everyday items of office stationery.
And finally from the annals of “what were they thinking?” we give you the Columbian Women’s Cycling team …

Time for another selection of links to articles you may have missed.
As usual let’s start with the real nerdy science stuff and descend into banality.
For those of a mathematical bent, and to celebrate the 400th anniversary this year of logarithms, here are ten top mathematical innovations.
We now know that our bodies are home to many microbes, both good and bad. But are we using them, or is our microbiome using us?
We all use pharmaceuticals of some form at least sometimes. What is surprising is how little we absorb and how much is excreted. So what happens to all those drugs we flush down the toilet?
Scary stuff for all those mothers and would-be-mothers out there. There’s actually a war going on in the womb.
So much of what we think we know is actually urban legend. Here’s an interesting long read on how such academic urban legends arise.

After many years scientists have finally sequenced the genome of the domestic cat. What’s interesting is the high degree to which their genome has been conserved over the years.
While on felines, none of the cats can taste sweet. This and other differences between us and other species.
Do you allow your dog to sleep in the bedroom? Or your cat to sleep on the bed? Or should you banish your pets from the bedroom?
OK, so now let’s move on to food …
So why wouldn’t we eat blue chicken? What is it about blue food that doesn’t appeal?
Next up, five things we should all know about washing food. We probably all do know them, but how many of us actually bother?
Walk on … does pressing the pedestrian crossing button actually do anything?
Most of us have to write stuff, at least occasionally. But why is it so hard to find your own typos?
OK here are some more of the things we think we know, but actually don’t … 33 well known “facts” that aren’t.
And so, at last, to history. I found this an interesting piece on London’s coffee houses, taverns, tea and chocolate.

Ah, yes, chocolate. It comes in many forms, but also now also as LEGO bricks.

And finally one to make you smirk. Some examples of phallic cartography.

Another in our series of links to items you may have missed, but which I found for you.
First off let’s kill off a few common science myths which most people seem to believe but which are, well, myths.

Next, something dear to my heart … what gives beer it’s flavour?
Also interesting is what causes the colours of gemstones.
And a third infographic (isn’t that a horrible word?) on how dogs evolved.
Returning to the theme of science mysteries and myths, here are a few things about how the world of flying works.
And on to the medical. What is the classical medieval disease? No not plague, but leprosy. It is something else which is commonly misunderstood, including the fact that it is still around.
And here are seven things you shouldn’t let your doctor do unless you absolutely have to.
Just what were they thinking? A Chinese hospital has installed an automatic sperm extractor.
Yes, apparently female infant masturbation is a thing, at least in America. And it really isn’t a cause for concern.
Meanwhile sex educator and blogger Emily Nagoski has this week been answering sex education questions from her readers. Interestingly one asked “How do you fix sex education?” Here’s Emily’s answer, which is just as applicable to the UK as the USA.
Apparently one psychologist is suggesting that we should give up forcing gender equality in the sciences at school. And from reading this article have to say I agree: far better that boys and girls study what they’re interested in than we channel them into subjects they may not do so well at, just because. At the end of the day I don’t care who deigns my drugs or my car; I’m more interested that they do it well and hopefully enjoy doing it. But that doesn’t mean we should put roadblocks in the way of girls doing science or boys doing needlework. When I was at school (half a century ago!) no-one stopped girls doing science. Yes more girls than boys did English, French and Biology at A-level but almost as many girls as boys did Maths and Physics. And we even had one boy who insisted on doing O-level Domestic Science! Let’s just find out what kids can do and encourage them to do what they enjoy — which should be so much more fulfilling.
Meanwhile according to another doctor we would all be much better off and less stressed if we were all to work a four day week. What he doesn’t say is whether we would get only 4 days pay for it, and if not how it would be funded.

Now an article on how wildlife is thriving in the aftermath of Chernobyl and in the absence of meddling humans.
A very interesting report on some historic experiments to determine if birds of prey see or smell out their carrion lunch.
What to do with dead wood? For the sake of wildlife, just leave it alone.
George Monbiot (who else?) suggests that the principal threat to freedom of expression comes not from state regulation but from censorship by editors and proprietors
Ah, so we’re now onto wordy things. OK, so here are 11 “modern” words which are much older than we think.
Still on words, it seems Shakespeare invented many phrases we take for granted in the modern world.
Which allows us to shimmy quickly to history. Our favourite London cabbie is still writing about the history of Waterloo Station and its environs. Episode 9 is about Waterloo’s darker side.
And while on the darker side, here’s an encyclopaedia of everyday monsters, starting with that widespread parasite, the earworm.
Coming up to date, here are some more infographics who owns all the major brands in the world. So who thought all these companies were independent?
Finally I’ll leave you with this summary of what it is like to be middle aged …

More items you may have missed and will wish you hadn’t. As usual the more scientific (though that doesn’t mean more difficult or incomprehensible) stuff first …
Ten scientific ideas that have transferred to common parlance and which we all misuse.

We’ve known for a long time that building bigger roads actually makes traffic worse, not better. Here’s a piece on why this is.
Ever wanted to know what it’s like to do research on whale vaginas? This will tell you (some of it).
Humans are very successful at domesticating animals — so successful there are three times as many chickens in the world as there are humans! Moreover we’re so good we apparently domesticated ourselves.
Apparently there is evidence that nudity provides health benefits for both body and brain.
Men’s naked bodies are the stuff of nightmares — NOT!
One day scientists will actually make up their minds … Maryn McKenna suggests it is likely that fat is good for us.
An interesting piece from Emily Nagoski re-analysing old data which shows that even before the pill, more sex did not mean more pregnancies.
So men think about sex every few seconds. Well maybe not!
So from sex to pussies … There are a few things you can do to hopefully add years to your cat’s life.
An interesting short piece on why it is so hard to objectively judge expensive wines — actually make that any wine.
Like judging wine, it’s all in the mnd. Here’s a quick “index card” summary of memory loss.

How the medievals got it so fantastically wrong about mandrake: the plant they thought murderous and grown from the blood of a hanged man.
Next year we celebrate the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta and the British Library is staging a special exhibition as well as bringing together the four surviving 1215 copies of Magna Carta. Here’s a portal to their Magna Carta exhibition page, webpages and medieval manuscripts weblog.
Our friendly blogging London cab driver is still investigating the history of Waterloo Station. Here’s part 7: trivia.
Finally to end on a worrying note, WTF is wrong with Americans? According to this guy it is all down to their education system. And the UK isn’t too far behind!
Gawdelpus!

More interesting items you may have missed.
According to George Monbiot it is all very simple: if we can’t change our economic system, our number’s up.
In case you ever wondered, here a brief history of mathematical symbols.

Cats? Well OK, so what was the role of cats in Anglo Saxon England?
And while on cats, let’s have a quick look at the chemistry behind catnip’s effect on cats.
So how on earth do you manufacture a link from cats to the human penis? Oh well, maybe you don’t. Anyway, scientists are getting interested in all those microbes that inhabit our bodies, and one group is now looking at the microbiome of the penis.
So from old jocks to old books … What does cause that smell of new & old books?
OK, so you still need to get the kids interested in science … try the bizarre liquid that sometimes acts like a solid, and which you can make at home.
And from the crazy to the ridiculous (maybe) … here’s a possibly not so serious scientific investigation of mermaids.
And so to the truly astonishing. In Canada a group of swallows have worked out how to open automatic doors.
So yes, insects do sleep. Here are some nice pictures of sleeping jewel wasps.
And onto food … it now seems that the Mediterranean diet effect may all be down to salad and olive oil. Well who would have guessed!
Meanwhile everything you think you know about breakfast is wrong. Well almost everything.
Celery. Aphrodisiac or harbinger of death?
While on health things, here is a piece on the health benefits of sleeping naked. Personally I can’t imagine sleeping comfortably any other way.
OK so we’re on the slippery slope to nowhere, so here’s a brief history of 8 hallucinogens.

And Diamond Geezer tells us 30 things learnt about sex over the last 30 years.
While we’re talking about learning, it seems we learn better if we take handwritten notes and don’t use a laptop. Why do I not find this surprising?
What’s more learning to write by hand means young children also learn to read more easily. Seems it’s something to do with the connectivity in the brain.
OK, so hands. It also seems that the hand you favour shapes your moral space. Which I find kinda weird.
And finally to a couple of historical items. First up the next part in the series on Waterloo Station — this is part 6 on Waterloo’s wildlife.
Tom Shakespeare tries taking a look at what it would be like to take England back to the Dark Ages. I suspect we’d all agree it’d be fairly horrific.
And finally as a piece of lunacy it seems Great Britain has an underwater rugby team. Do what!?!?!?!