Interesting Stuff: Late October 2009

Astronomy:

• I like this picture. So much better than a silly face.
• Energetic space ribbon shows that the heliosphere is not understood.

Biology and Animal Behaviour:

• Large-scale 3D structure of DNA. I’ll give you the press release and also Ed Yong’s take on the story.
• Monkeys have an Uncanny Valley of their own.
• Repelling insects by making their feet slippery.

General Science:

• Catalyst ran an article about the new Royal Institution Australia, here in Adelaide. I must keep an eye on that.

Palaeontology and Anthropology:

• Archaeopteryx grew slowly, like dinosaurs.
• A claim that 1/3 of supposed dinosaur species, including Nanotyrannus, were really just juveniles. [Update: more]
• Another article on Ardipithecus, with a point about the evolution of bipedalism.

Psychology and Brain Science:

• Using computer games to study autism.
• New insight into how the brain generates speech.

Social and Cultural:

• Recently uploaded on the TED Talks Youtube video, a very well-presented talk about stories and culture.
• An article about the history of Islam.