The Ed's Up #46

On The Evolution of Migration

Migration evolved from stagnation. The ancestors of these birds stayed in the same place all-year round, and gradually, they shifted either their breeding grounds or their wintering ones. Most scientists believe that the former happened: that tropical birds gradually moved their breeding grounds north, either to chase a glut of summer food or to leave their competitors behind. But some think that the opposite happened: birds in temperate climates gradually moved south to escape the harsh winters. (Image: Swallow (unladen), Katsura Miyamoto)

More good reads

• Maryn McKenna, one of the best disease reporters around, curates all the best information and offers her views.
• Tara Smith—an infectious disease researcher who has actually written a book about Ebola—has penned some of the best pieces. She explains why Ebola isn’t airborne, busts five common myths including the massively exaggerated symptoms, and explains how Ebola was already in the US.
• Megan Garber explains how one jet was transformed into a flying Ebola quarantine unit.
• Susan Grant, the head nurse at Emory, explains why she wanted to bring two Ebola patients back to the US
• Kelly Hills gives one of the worst fearmongering pieces the Red Ink treatment.
• And Erika Check Hayden explain why the WHO has declared an international emergency.
• Here’s a chart comparing Ebola deaths to other diseases (Ebola’s on there, honest).

• Tragic: Amazing stem cell scientist Yoshiki Sasai was found dead in wake of the recent STAP scandal. David Cyranoski (who wrote a feature about Sasai’s work) collates tributes from his fellow scientists. Michael Eisen offers a deeply personal post on how science deals with misconduct. And Ivan Oransky responds to criticisms that a focus on retractions is part of the problem. (And for future reference, here are some suggestions for journalists reporting on suicides.)
• Building chemistry's dream machine—one that could synthesise (almost) anything. Fascinating feature by Mark Peplow.
• For the first time, a spacecraft—Rosetta--has made a rendezvous with a comet (that looks like a rubber duck and has a face). Ian Sample explains why that’s important and what comes next.
• How to cross 5 international borders in 1 minute without sweating. By Robert Krulwich.
• A team of scientists (including Phenomena’s own Brian Switek) have been excavating an incredible natural trap cave, where the bones of tens of thousands of animals are piled 10 metres deep.
• "If the question is how we should think of addiction, the answer is from every angle possible." Great piece from Bethany Brookshire.
• This is so beautiful. Ben Lillie mingling the dynamics of stars with the uncertainty of adolescence.
• Leigh Cowart reports from a clown convention and it's glorious.
• The Great Emu War: In which some large, flightless birds unwittingly foiled the Aussie Army. Most emusing, from Bec Crew.

More good links will be released in tomorrow's linkfest on Not Exactly Rocket Science

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And that's it! Thanks for reading.