Robot Farmers, ASMR, and Miniature Almanacs: Lux Recommends #176
Welcome to Lux Recommends #176, this week’s edition of what we at Lux are reading and thinking about (want to receive this by email? Sign up here).
Articles
Watch out, CRISPR. The RNA editing race is on: “Start-ups and academic labs are designing molecules that hijack our own enzymes to precisely edit RNA” — Adam G
For Centuries, Know-It-Alls Carried Beautiful Miniature Almanacs Wherever They Went: “The small, ornate tomes were big status symbols.” — Sam
Finding Beauty in the Nervous System of a Fruit Fly Larva — Adam G
Closing in on a century-old mystery, scientists are figuring out what the body’s ‘tuft cells’ do: “Tuft cells serve as sentinels along the body’s invasion routes, relying on their sensory capabilities to detect pathogens and allergens that are inhaled or trying to infiltrate in other ways.” — Adam G
How Banksy Authenticates His Work — Sam
The Age of Robot Farmers: “Picking strawberries takes speed, stamina, and skill. Can a robot do it?” — Peter
Probiotics are touted as good for the gut. They may be trouble for the immune system — Adam G
How A.S.M.R. Became a Sensation: “The brain-tingling feeling was a hard-to-describe psychological oddity. Until, suddenly, it was a YouTube phenomenon.” — Adam G
An Ancient Human Species Is Discovered in a Philippine Cave: “Archaeologists in Luzon Island have turned up the bones of a distantly related species, Homo luzonensis, further expanding the human family tree.” — Adam K
Online Toys
Podcasts
Sarah Silverman on WTF with Marc Maron — Adam G
Movies
On the Basis of Sex: “The true story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her struggles for equal rights, and the early cases of a historic career that lead to her nomination and confirmation as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice.” — Adam G
Television
HANNA: “In equal parts high-concept thriller and coming-of-age drama, HANNA follows the journey of an extraordinary young girl raised in the forest, as she evades the relentless pursuit of an off-book CIA agent and tries to unearth the truth behind who she is.” — Adam G
Videos
Imagine believing we’re significant in any way whatsoever — Adam G
Watch a Great White Shark Hunt Through a Kelp Forest for Its Next Meal — Adam G
This guy smashed records as he climbed Mount Everest in just 26 hours — Adam K
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