The Ed's Up #202
First, something a little special. Liz Neeley and I did a joint talk at the University of Wisconsin-Madison about the craft, purpose, and ethics of science storytelling and journalism. Both of us on stage, weaving our ideas and slides together. It went really well. Here's the video.
The Ancient Origins of Both Light and Dark Skin
"Tishkoff says that her results complicate the traditional evolutionary story of human skin. In this view, humanity began with dark skin in Africa to protect against the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. As people migrated to other continents, some groups evolved lighter skin, to more effectively produce vitamin D in areas where sunlight is scarce. But most of the variants that Tishkoff’s team identified, for both light and dark skin, have an ancient African origin. They likely arose in hominids like Homo erectus long before the dawn of our own species, and have coexisted in balance for hundreds and thousands of years. In many cases, the older variant is responsible for lighter skin, not darker." (Image: Tishkoff lab)
Octopus-Inspired Material Can Change Its Texture
"There are three components to an octopus’s camouflage—color, posture, and texture—and that third aspect is perhaps the least studied. But by drawing inspiration from octopuses’ textural tricks, a team of researchers led by Robert Shepherd, from Cornell University, has created a material that can change its shape in a similar way. From a starting position as a flat sheet, it can quickly mimic a field of stones, or the rosette of a succulent plant." (Image: Ina Fassbender)
How a Quarter of Cow DNA Came From Reptiles
"Imagine if a word in a book—say, bubble—had the ability to magically copy itself, and paste those copies elsewhere in the text. Eventually, you might bubble end up bubble bubble with bubble bubble bubble sentences bubble bubble bubble bubble like these. This is exactly what happens in our genomes. There are genes known as retrotransposons that can copy themselves and paste the duplicates in other parts of our DNA, creating large tracts of repetitive gobbledygook. Around half of the human genome consists of these jumping genes. And a quarter of a cow’s DNA consists of one particular jumping gene, known as BovB. It, and its descendants, have bloated out the cow genome with thousands of copies of themselves. This jumping gene seems to have entered the cow genome from the unlikeliest of sources: snakes and lizards." (Image: Andres Stapff)
More good reads in science and technology
- An absolutely incredible synthesis from Alexis Madrigal about how Facebook destabilized American democracy. Chilling, essential.
- “These are not a few bad apples. These are examples of systematic campaigns of abuse against junior people.” Marina Koren on harassment and assault in scientific fieldwork.
- Trump’s obsession with his own IQ distracts from the real science of intelligence. Stuart Ritchie on what IQ means.
- “Who would’ve thought that people could mine the birds we collected over the last 150 years and get a climate record?”
- The fertility testing racket just got debunked by science. By Julia Belluz.
- How a bogus climate story becomes unstoppable on social media.
- Art Robinson has seeded scientific skepticism within the GOP for decades. Now he wants to use urine to save lives. By Dan Engber
- As Aleppo fell, so did a vital seed bank. But its creator is rebuilding.
- Meet the nocebo effect, the placebo effect's evil twin that makes you feel pain
More good reads in politics and society
- Ronan Farrow reports on Harvey Weinstein’s horrendous record of sexual harassment, assault, and rape. Jia Tolentino reflects on how men like him implicate their victims in their acts. And Rose Eveleth encourages men to stop being shocked by cases of sexual harassment: “You just don’t know who it is because the women in your field haven’t deemed you trustworthy enough to tell.” And finally, the Onion nails it.
- A no-holds-barred piece from Norm Ornstein on why America is now a kakistocracy—governed by the worst among us.
- Trump’s EPA repeals a landmark Obama climate rule, his new executive order might dramatically raise prices for the sick, and he wants to censor the free press.
- "There was no way anyone could believe they were going to get a different version of Donald Trump. There's only one version." How the GOP got Trump catastrophically wrong.
You can also follow me on Twitter or find my writing at The Atlantic. My New York Times-bestselling book, I Contain Multitudes, is out now. If someone has forwarded this email to you, you can sign up yourself.
And that's it. Thanks for reading.
- Ed
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