Category Archives: science

Monthly Links

Once more unto our monthly links, brethren …


Science, Technology, Natural World

fish-like arthropod

The fossilised remains of a 500-million-year-old fish-like arthropod suggests it was among the first creatures with jaws. [££££]

There’s a living fish with a genome 30 times that of a human, and it’s just been sequenced.

Continuing with odd research findings, it seems that all modern birds share an iridescent ancestor.

And well what do you know? Apparently parrots have accents.

And now to tiny wings … scientists are doing all sorts of probes into honey and finding it can tell a huge story about the environment where it was created – it’s full of pollen, DNA, bacteria, and a lot of other junk. [££££]

Back to one of my favourite themes: wasps.
Each summer, wasps in the UK capture about 14 million kilogrammes of insects such as caterpillars and greenfly, making them important friends to gardeners.
First Prof. Seirian Sumner (aka. @waspprof) looks at why there are so few wasps around this year. (Spoiler: wet Spring.)
Secondly, yet another look at the importance of wasps as both predators and pollinators.

Tardigrades, those almost indestructible micro-creatures, that have been preserved in amber are revealing when they gained their indestructability. [££££]

Psychological research has a problem with reproducibility, and now there are indications that men may not be more attracted to scent of fertile women, after all.

Let’s explode another psychological stereotype … only children are no more self-centred, spoiled and lonely that those with siblings. [LONG READ] [££££]

As below, so above – maybe …

Astronomers have spotted a comet which is being kicked out of the solar system.

And NASA’s army of citizen scientists have spotted an object moving at an incredible 1 million miles per hour (that’s about 40 times round the Earth, an hour!).


Health, Medicine

It is becoming increasingly evident that Parkinson’s disease is related to the gut microbiome.

Would women be healthier and happier if they avoided the menopause and menstruated for ever? Researchers are divided.


Environment

2 herring gulls on a post

What people classify as pests are only species of wildlife going about their lawful business and in the process encroaching on what we declare as human-only places (like houses).

One American environmentalist on the joy of harvesting greywater for his desert garden.


Social Sciences, Business, Law, Politics

London blogger Diamond Geezer takes a look at why people are wrong.

There are many, many big companies that we’ve never heard of, but who have a surprising grip on our lives – and failure of any one (like CrowdStrike did in July) could being the world to a halt.


Art, Literature, Language, Music

Here’s a glossary of American Beatnik slang.

From early times up to Taylor Swift, musicians can thank ancient temples for thir music. [LONG READ] [££££]

cut-away of Solomon's temple


History, Archaeology, Anthropology

Some really forensic research has worked out that Stonehenge’s massive Altar Stone came from north-east Scotland. And we thought that moving the bluestones from SW Wales was a feat too far!

Just a quick reminder that the original (ancient Greek) Olympic Games were entirely male and entirely nude.

Going Medieval takes a look at the medieval attitude to body count. [LONG READ]

Now much more up to date … Divers have discovered 100 bottles of champagne in a 19th-Century wreck in the Baltic.


Food, Drink

And finally … Britain is obsessed with cod, haddock, salmon and tuna, so a Plymouth company is trialling fish fingers made from fish which would otherwise be discarded.

dogfish


Monthly Links for July

Here following, this month’s links to items you didn’t know you’d missed!


Science, Technology, Natural World

…

A new colour of cat (above) has been discovered – they’re black and white, but not as we know it!

We know it’s under genetic control, and that underneath all cats are tabby, but researchers have now worked out how tabby markings on cats form.

Scientists can be quite inventive when naming species; here are few of the best, including Agra vation. [LONG READ]

One young researcher is listening to seagrass meadows in an attempt to discover the full range of their biodiversity.

Last year’s Storm Ciarán’s ruined our tea. Here’s how.

A statistician looks at how to take the perfect penalty in football.

Scientists think they’ve discovered a cave on the moon, without being there.

So just how do astronomers work out the size of the solar system, again without going there?

And why do some planets have moons and others don’t?

And still in space, how often are we actually visited by asteroids?

Is it a fossil? Is it a meteorite? No it’s a meteor-wrong! [££££]

And finally for this section, we go from space to the ocean depths … Oceanographers think they’ve found an unexpected source of oxygen on the seafloor. [££££]


Health, Medicine

Yersinia pestis (aka. plague) is, as its name implies, a pest. And it keeps plaguing humanity.

One Anthropology Professor who studies how environmental stressors affect menstrual cycles (and a lot else) gives some scientific evidence as to why she personally hates tampons.

Which leads us nicely(?!) on to …


Sexuality

Kate Lister avers that women aren’t orgasming enough through penetrative sex and men had better start understanding why. She also has a message for men on giving oral sex.

So what’s the low-down on sexual incompatibility in long-term couples?


Environment

A large water beetle has been found in Cambridgeshire after an absence of over 80 years.


History, Archaeology, Anthropology

Underneath the vineyards of Champagne is a rich hunting ground for fossils.

Why was there a population crash during the neolithic? One suggestion is plague.

How the Sumerians influenced tennis.

More research on the Antikythera mechanism suggests it followed the Greek lunar calendar.

…

Tremors when Vesuvius erupted collapsed shelter walls and crushed the victims.

Still in Pompeii, archaeologists have found an ancient construction site, undisturbed since Vesuvius’ eruption.

Now we have Going Medieval telling us all about the mendicants. [LONG READ]

In support of medieval service magicians in preference to “manifesting”. [LONG READ]

One researcher claims to have uncovered a late 16th-century secret dossier of Elizabeth I’s spy network. Clearly they’d never heard of Francis Walsingham!

Samuel Pepys, it turns out, isn’t just a diarist and government administrator on th make, but also a connoisseur of fashion.

And coming up to date … Shackleton’s ship Endurance, wrecked in the Antarctic, is to get added protection.


Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs

If you’re one of the many lacking body confidence, here are some ideas which may help you attain it.

And here are some scientific tricks to keep your flower bouquets looking fresh for longer.

…


Shock, Horror, Humour, Wow!

And finally, something on Larry, Chief Mouser of Downing Street, and other political pets. But there’s no mention of Attlee, the current cat of Mr Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

……
Larry (top) and Attlee

July Quiz Answers

Here are the answers to this month’s five quiz questions. If in doubt, all should be able to be easily verified online.

Biology

  1. How many legs does a lobster have?  10
  2. How many species of elephant are there?  Three species of elephants are recognised: the African bush elephant, the forest elephant, and the Asian elephant.
  3. Francis Crick and James Watson made which discovery in 1953?  Structure of DNA
  4. Every cat has the same distinctive coat pattern. What is it?  Tabby
  5. What is the world’s most venomous fish?  The Stonefish

Answers were correct when questions were compiled in late 2023.

July Quiz Questions

Each month we’re posing five pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month. As before, they’re not difficult, but it is unlikely everyone will know all the answers – so hopefully you’ll learn something new, as well as having a bit of fun.

Biology

  1. How many legs does a lobster have?
  2. How many species of elephant are there?
  3. Francis Crick and James Watson made which discovery in 1953?
  4. Every cat has the same distinctive coat pattern. What is it?
  5. What is the world’s most venomous fish?

Answers will be posted in 2 weeks time.

Monthly Links

Hello, good heatwave and welcome, to this months collection of links to items you may have missed but didn’t know you didn’t want to.


Science, Technology, Natural World

…

Against all the odds the aging spacecraft Voyager 1 is back on air and communicating intelligibly with ground control. Two items on this from Live Science and Scientific American [££££].

There are currently lots of sunspots and we’re nearing the solar cycle maximum … so the sun’s magnetic field is about to flip.

The search for a planet beyond Pluto has been going on since I was a kid, although astronomers can’t even agree Planet Nine exists, nor what they’re actually looking for.

Even so Planet Nine is amongst eight strange objects which could be hiding in the outer solar system – maybe.

Back down to Earth with a bump … Adam Kucharski asks “Can we predict who will win a football match?“.

Here’s a BBC News item about the beavers which have been reintroduced less than a mile from my house.

So it looks as if our invasive Asian Hornets have successfully overwintered here, although for some reason the government doesn’t see this as a huge problem!

They look like mini horseshoe crabs … some very rare, very ancient, three-eyed “dinosaur shrimps” (below) have suddenly emerged in Arizona.

…

How old is that termite mound? Researchers in South Africa have found 34,000-years-old termite mounds, beating the previously known oldest by 30,000 years!

Research is showing that our native wild orchids (not the tropical ones you buy in a supermarket) actually feed their seedlings through underground fungal connections. [££££]


Health, Medicine

How many of us are really aware that body organs aren’t always where they are supposed to be?

In addition you may have more body parts that you should have!

You should pay attention to your nipples – and this applies you you guys too, not just the gals – as they can tell you things about your health.

A chemist and an epidemiologist take a look at the whys and wherefores of sunscreen.

Apparently 80% of people with sleep apnoea are undiagnosed. Here’s what to look for.

Finally in this section, the little known Oropouche virus is spreading rapidly in South America; although usually mild it can cause serious complications and could become a healthcare emergency.


Sexuality

How might one start a conversation about sex with a partner or teen?

A cancer diagnosis, or indeed any serious illness, can affect how we approach sex.


Environment

…

I’m used to seeing green parakeets in my west London garden – they’re noisy, they’re quarrelsome, but they’re colourful and often comic – so how did they actually get here from India?

In good news, it seems that the Iberian Lynx, one of the world’s rarest cats, is recovering from near extinction.

…


Social Sciences, Business, Law, Politics

Kit Yates lays out why it is important for democracy that we have a numerate society.

So what are the defining characteristics of a fascist? What should we look for?


History, Archaeology, Anthropology

…

Here are five mysterious ancient artefacts which still have archaeologists puzzled, including Neolithic stone balls (above).

Elsewhere archaeologists in Spain have found some 2000 year old liquid wine. I think I’ll stick to my 2019 Rioja, thank you!

Bridging the gap to modern times, here’s Going Medieval on, well, medieval gossip.

And coming right up to date, we have an item on the world’s most improbable post offices.


Food, Drink

Scientists have developed a method for making healthier, and more sustainable, chocolate by using the parts of the cocoa pod to replace loads of sugar. But they’ve not yet been able to commercialise it.


Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs

So just what is it really like to live in Antarctica?

Emma Beddington investigates a wide range of time-sucking internet rabbit holes, and suggests what one might do to avoid them!

Put that alongside Messy Nessy’s regular blog 13 Things I Found on the Internet Today, who contributes the following exemplar.

…
An 18th century CE ivory dildo complete with contrivance for simulating ejaculation and its own discreet cloth bag. Now housed at the Science Museum in London.

Some stupid tourists seem to think that wild animals are cuddlable and cute! Why?

Only the crazy British would have a stinging nettle eating competition!


Shock, Horror, Humour, Wow!

And I’ll leave you this month with two things to try to get your head round …

First, Corey S Powell suggests that, like gravitational waves or ripples in a pond, we are just ripples of information in expanding outwards space-time. I see his point but I’m still trying to work out what it means.

And finally finally, a piece of science fiction suggesting that we could live forever if we merge biologically with the fungal network. [££££]

I suspect merging those two is going to be a bit like finding a unified theory of gravity and quantum mechanics.


Asian Hornets (Redux)

There’s more news on the Yellow-legged Asian Hornet which is attempting to get established in the UK.

A BBC news story earlier this week reported that DNA testing had shown that the hornets had definitely survived a UK winter for the first time. Subsequently Defra blogged that “Whilst this is the first evidence of Asian hornets overwintering in the UK, it is not considered to be strong evidence of an established population”.

Asian hornet ID chart

Hmmm. Well. Maybe. That sounds like a fairly technical position by Defra, and almost looks like hiding their head under their blanket. Having overwintered once they can easily do it again – and by that time they will have spread and there will be many more overwintering queens. It’ll take only one missed nest not destroyed in time and another mild winter. So it feels to me that they’re here to stay.

Monthly Links

Behold, this month’s collection of links to items you may have missed. Let’s dive straight in as there’s quite a bit of science-y stuff this month.


Science, Technology, Natural World

Astronomers have been seeking the so-called Planet 9 for decades, but still can’t even agree that it is likely to exist.

Deep within Earth there are two giant mystery blobs. What do we know about them?

We all happily talk about the average this or the average that, but what do we mean by average, and why isn’t it always, well, average?

Now to the animal kingdom …

Many animals, including our pets, have a third eyelid, so why don’t we?

Try to get your head round this … Alan Turing’s pattern-generating mechanism for spots and stripes on animal coats; and how the mechanism is modified. [LONG READ]

Despite their size, gorillas have extremely small penises, and it turns out that the genetic mutations which cause this may also help human male fertility.

group of sperm whales

Scientists have been investigating the vocalisations of sperm whales for years, and some now think that they may be the elements of a language, with dialects.

A new to Britain exotic jumping spider has been found in Cornwall, and it isn’t the only one.

And on the subject of foreign arrivals, the Guardian has a sensible and thoughtful piece about the invasive Asian Yellow-Legged Hornet (Vespa velutina) which has invaded continental Europe and is trying to get a foothold in the UK. [LONG READ]
Here’s the BBC article which triggered my recent blog post on these hornets.
STOP PRESS: The Asian Yellow-Legged Hornet has now been discovered in a southern state of USA (Georgia to be precise)!

face of an Asian yellow-legged hornet

Still with wasps … It seems that many parasitic wasps have tamed viruses so they can use them to help subdue their prey. [LONG READ]

From hornets to their forest home … there’s a theory that trees are social and communicate with each other across the “wood wide web” of fungal filaments. But it is only a theory and some are arguing it is fantasy. [LONG READ]

Treat with extreme care … Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is quite a pretty American Spring flower. But don’t go messing with it as the roots contain a blood red alkaloid, sanguinarine, which will shut down and kill any cells it comes in contact with, and more.

We all contain vestiges of our evolutionary past like goose bumps, extra nipples and the ability to waggle our ears. [££££]

Which brings us to several items about Neanderthals …
So what is the difference between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens? We interbred so there can’t be a lot, right?
There’s still debate about Neanderthals ability to talk.
Some aspects of our health seem to depend on DNA we inherited from Neanderthals.
And most weirdly, apparently the Neanderthal Y chromosome (which codes for male) has been lost, suggesting that human/Neanderthal hybrid males were infertile (in some form).


Health, Medicine

So is the menopause like puberty in reverse? Well, yes, and then again no. [LONG READ]

Most of us guzzle diet drinks and other low calorie goodies, but research is now indicating that the sweeteners are actually harmful to our gut and its microbes.

Archaeological research is now suggesting that (red) squirrels were instrumental is spreading leprosy and transmitting it to humans.


Sexuality

What is the art of lasting sexual connections?


History, Archaeology, Anthropology

Egyptian Goddess Nut

One astrophysicist has been exploring the connection between the Milk Way and Nut, the ancient Egyptian Sky Goddess.

There’s a rare and very strange, apparently Roman, object (below) which was found at Norton Disney, Lincolnshire. The trouble is no-one knows what it is, or was used for, and there are a number of theories.

mystery Roman dodecahedron

A 1,700-year-old Roman shipwreck found on the coast at Mallorca was loaded with fish sauce when it sank.

We know there was a thriving, early medieval Norse colony in Greenland, but why did it suddenly vanish in the 13th century?

On fake medieval devices for torture and sex.

So what was going on in London during the English Civil War (January 1642 to April 1646). [LONG READ]


London

Specifically now to modern London … London’s Royal Parks have their own plant nursery in the middle of Hyde Park, and IanVisits went to look.


Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs

Bhutan, the Dragon Kingdom, strictly limits visitors in order to protect its environment and heritage. But what is it like when you do go there?

Bhutan

Kate Lister asks how you know when you’re in love, and when you’re falling out of it. [££££]

A growing number of women are choosing to not have children. Here some tell what that’s like.

And finally on one of my hobbyhorses … the need to normalise and desexualise nudity if we are to achieve a well balanced society.


Monthly Links

Somehow we’ve almost got to the end of April, which means it’s time for our regular round up of links to items you may have missed. As well as the usual motley collection, we seem to have a lot of science-y stuff this month, so let’s get stuck in!


Science, Technology, Natural World

crab

It is interesting the way that Nature keeps evolving the same patterns independently. As an example, crabs have evolved five separate times.

Talking of the unexpected, researchers have used decades-old tins of salmon to track the health of the ocean’s fish stocks. [££££]

And on the subject of tracking … scientists in the UK have developed a trap which is an early warning system for Asian hornets.

And we keep the chain going … wasp researchers have agreed that the media is biased against wasps. Well who would have guessed!?

And now for something completely different … medical researchers continue to try to make sense of death and near death experiences. [LONG READ]

So why is it that some people always get lost, but others don’t? [LONG READ]

Researchers are using ancient records of previous total solar eclipses to help measure history.

I bet you didn’t know that billions of years ago the moon turned inside out, well sort-of. I certainly didn’t.

It’s well established that Stonehenge is aligned with the sun, but is it also aligned with the moon? Archaeologists and astronomers are about to use a rare lunar event to find out.

And still on space, NASA scientists have seemingly done the impossible and managed to bring the Voyager 1 probe back to its senses. Two, slightly different, looks in the Guardian and on Live Science.

Artists impression of Voyager 1


Health, Medicine

An epidemiologist highlights that kids don’t need to get diseases to be healthy.

Here a medical health researcher looks at the UK’s failure in 2020 to “act fast and isolate” against Covid.

And staying on pandemics, the consensus amongst scientists is that the next pandemic will be caused by a flu virus.

Changing tack somewhat … a top OB/GYN looks at the basics of menstrual blood and explodes more than a few myths.

And another myth exploded … it seems that time-restricted eating is linked to a 91% (ie. almost double) higher risk of cardiovascular death.

Lastly in this section: you’ve heard of dyslexia, but do you know about dyscalculia? [££££]


Sexuality

The somewhat outspoken sex researcher, Dr Kate Lister, asserts that all straight men should try pegging once.

Meanwhile sex educator Dr Emily Nagoski talks to the BBC about sex and orgasm myths.

And coincidentally two women talk in the Guardian about their experiences of their unexpectedly open marriages. First Cassie Werber; and secondly New Yorker Molly Roden Winter. [BOTH ARE LONG READS]


Social Sciences, Business, Law, Politics

IanVisits reckons that according to an inoperative law we have the date of Easter all wrong.

UK Supreme Court building

Politicians in the UK fulminate about foreign courts having sway over our law, when in fact there are more foreign courts on UK soil pontificating on affairs elsewhere in the world.

Now what have I been saying for years? … Using phonics to teach children to read doesn’t work.


Art, Literature, Language, Music

Imaginary fashion art by Rose Wong

Here’s a blog post on the interesting work of New York artist Rose Wong.

Meanwhile Ian Dunt eulogises the word cunt.

Early medieval England saw a boom in the minting of silver coins, but until now no-one really knew why.

Mermaid Street & the Mermaid Inn, Rye

Mediaeval Mythbusting goes on the trail of the tales behind our more ancient pubs, including one of my favourites, The Mermaid in Rye. [LONG READ]

And Going Medieval discourses on obscenity, ancient and modern. [LONG READ]


London

London once had dozens of iconic green huts which were cabman’s shelters. Now there are only 13 and the final one has just got heritage protection.

Green London Cabman's Shelter


Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs

So here’s another look at the culture and usefulness of pubic hair.

And finally … Another of my favourite places in Dungeness, on which stands Prospect Cottage, the late Derek Jarman’s seaside home. It is sometimes open to the public, but the Guardian has some interior photographs.

Prospect Cottage, Dungeness


April Quiz Answers

Here are the answers to this month’s five quiz questions. If in doubt, all should be able to be easily verified online.

Geography

  1. There is a very small (180 square miles) landlocked sovereign country between France and Spain with a population of approximately 75,000. What is the name of this country?  Andorra
  2. What is the world’s largest coral reef system?  Great Barrier Reef
  3. What is the only US state that borders just one other?  Maine
  4. What does the Beaufort scale measure?  Wind Strength
  5. On which continent is the volcano Mt Erebus?  Antarctica

Answers were correct when questions were compiled in late 2023.

April Quiz Questions

Each month we’re posing five pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month. As before, they’re not difficult, but it is unlikely everyone will know all the answers – so hopefully you’ll learn something new, as well as having a bit of fun.

Geography

  1. There is a very small (180 square miles) landlocked sovereign country between France and Spain with a population of approximately 75,000. What is the name of this country?
  2. What is the world’s largest coral reef system?
  3. What is the only US state that borders just one other?
  4. What does the Beaufort scale measure?
  5. On which continent is the volcano Mt Erebus?

Answers will be posted in 2 weeks time.