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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
