Weekly Round-up 6

This week I’m including my favorite science and history of science posts from the previous week. It is becoming apparent to me that if I want time to blog myself, I have to keep these round-ups shorter and faster to put together. So here we go…

The Science of Blogging looks at the value of blog posts vs. publications for spreading knowledge.

Elaine Westwick of the Stuff of Life writes on the gender gap in science blogging and I responded here.

Michael Barton of The Dispersal of Darwin is keeping track of anti-evolution legislation put forward in the states this year.

Captain Skellett at The Schooner of Science reports on the possible (human) sexual transmission of the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus.

Tara Smith of Aetiology reviews Willrich’s Pox and protests the decision to place anti-vaccine advertising on the CBS Jumbotron in Times Square.

James at Disease Prone writes about the antibacterial activity of cranberries against urinary tract infections.

Merry of Small Things Considered has a fascinating post up on bacterial microcompartments that look similar to viral capsules .

Connor of The Rule of 6ix is thinking about how to study low abundance viruses, and looking at a methods study on single virus genomics.

In celebration (or protest) at a new video game featuring paramecium, Jennifer Frazer of The Artful Amoeba has a tribute to the Paramecium.

What do starfish fear, even run away from? Well, Chris of Echinoblog show us…. another starfish that can put them in a 13 arm headlock!

Christine at The Dragonfly Woman gets the photo of the week with flame skimmer dragonfly (much better than beetles) and a video of a TED lecture on the long-range migration of the wandering glider dragonfly and their predators.

Jaiprett of From the Hands of Quacks is continuing her series on deafness and language in the 1600s with her fourth post.

Will Thomas at Ether Wave Propaganda wrote an interesting “primer” this week on the role of the Royal Institution on agriculture and land improvements. I couldn’t help thinking about descriptions of American pioneers referring to their essentially slash and burn techniques in eastern hardwood forests and midwestern prairies as ‘improvements’. It makes the biologist in me cringe.

I also posted yesterday on detection of pathogen aDNA from medieval Venice.

If you would like to suggest other blogs on microbiology, public health, or related history of science topics leave a comment!