1. We now know there are tons of planets out in the galaxy, including many like Earth, but when might we actually see one?

"In terms of resolving and imaging an exoplanet, we move into the realm of science fiction for now. To produce even a ten-pixel spatial image of a nearby planet would require a space telescope with an aperture equivalent to 200 miles. Clearly impossible for one telescope, but a thirty minute exposure employing 150 3m diameter mirrors with varying separations of up to 150 km, linked together as a 'hyper telescope,' would be sufficient to act as an ‘Exo-Earth imager’ able to detect several pixel 'green spots' similar to the Amazon basin on a planet within ten light years.The short exposure time is an added necessity for spatial imaging in order avoid blurring caused by clouds or planetary rotation."

2. CRISPR watch: is there a way forward for this genome-editing technology that isn't creepy?

"At the dawn of the recombinant DNA era, the most important lesson learned was that public trust in science ultimately begins with and requires ongoing transparency and open discussion. That lesson is amplified today with the emergence of CRISPR-Cas9 technology and the imminent prospects for genome engineering. Initiating these fascinating and challenging discussions now will optimize the decisions society will make at the advent of a new era in biology and genetics."

+ Seriously: CRISPR is a very big deal. This article has a great, very concise summary of what's possible with this new technique.

3. A post-coal future for Appalachia.

"Still, dozens of regions across the country have struggled through the loss of major industries such as mining or manufacturing. Few were as poor as Appalachia when the decline began. If Letcher County can find a way to not only survive the decline of coal, but thrive despite it, other regions in Kentucky and in the nation may be able to as well."

4. What's happened to the word "No"?

"'No, totally.' 'No, definitely.' 'No, exactly.' 'No, yes.' These curious uses turn 'no' into a kind of contranym: a word that can function as its own opposite. Out of the million-odd words in the English language, perhaps a hundred have this property. You can seed a field, in which case you are adding seeds, or seed a grape, in which case you are subtracting them. You can be in a fix but find a fix for it. You can alight from a horse to observe a butterfly alighting on a flower."

+ If this is the kind of story Kathryn Schulz writes now that she's at The New Yorker, we all have a lot to look forward to.

5. On the strange importance of the 196,883rd dimension in cutting-edge mathematics.

"In 1978, the mathematician John McKay noticed what seemed like an odd coincidence. He had been studying the different ways of representing the structure of a mysterious entity called the monster group, a gargantuan algebraic object that, mathematicians believed, captured a new kind of symmetry. Mathematicians weren’t sure that the monster group actually existed, but they knew that if it did exist, it acted in special ways in particular dimensions, the first two of which were 1 and 196,883."

On Fusion: Ex-Machina is the best movie abourt artificial intelligence in 40 years, writes our resident AI expert, Daniela.

Apologies for the sporadic delivery of the newsletter editions this week. I have a simple explanation: my parents are here for my birthday (which is technically next Monday), so I've been quite busy with my family in the evenings I usually use to put together the newsletter.

 Today's 1957 American English Usage Tip:

donor, formerly a formal or legal word, has come into current usage with blood donor.

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The First Two of Which Were 1 and 196,883