The Ed's Up #64
Top Science Longreads of 2014
Every year, I pick my favourite science features—or ‘longreads’, as they have been rebranded as—from the previous 12 months. It’s always hard. Despite much hand-wringing about how the internet is killing journalism/reading/attention/civilisation, I see a constant stream of great long pieces, written by writers who are at the top of their game, and published by organisations willing to pay well. So, without further ado, here are my favourite dozen from the year, and a dozen more runners-up... (Image: Rosmary)
Falling Leaf, Flying Dragon
"In the canopy of a Malaysian rainforest, a little lizard scuttles to the end of a branch and launches itself into the air. It doesn’t, however, fall to its doom. Instead, it extends two flaps of skin from its flanks, supported by unusually long ribs. Danielle Klomp thinks that there’s more to these wings than gliding. They are also beautifully coloured and Klomp has shown that, in at least one species, these hues match those of falling leaves from the local area. This, she says, is no coincidence. She thinks that the lizards have evolved to mimic falling leaves, to avoid the attention of birds." (Image: Alfeus Liman)
When Threatened By Worms, Bacteria Summon Killer Fungi
"When you’re the size of a human, you worry about lions and tigers and bears. But if you’re a bacterium, a tiny nematode worm, just a millimetre long, can be a vicious predator. Nematodes are among the most common animals on the planet, and many of them hunt bacteria in soil and water. The microbes, in turn, have evolved many defences. Some secrete toxins. Others gather in large, invulnerable swarms. Now, a team of Chinese scientists have discovered the most outlandish strategy yet: some bacteria transform fungi into worm-killers." (Image: George Barron)
Sloths and Armadillos See The World In Black-and-White
"Armadillos have terrible vision. In 1913, American zoologists Horatio H. Newman and J. Thomas Patterson wrote, “The eyes [of the nine-banded armadillo] are rudimentary and practically useless. If disturbed an armadillo will charge off in a straight line and is as apt to run into a tree trunk as to avoid it.”" (Image: Mwcolgan8)
The Wisdom of the Fly Crowds
"When animals live in groups, they can unlock incredible behaviours just by interacting with their neighbours according to simple rules. Locusts can form crop-devastating, sun-blocking swarms; starlings can form beautiful murmurations; fish can solve problems as a shoal. Ramdya suspected that the supposedly anti-social flies might also show collective behaviour. He was right." (Image: John Tann)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.
-Ed