Linky and the Brain: a grab bag from drunk science to itchy bears

Drunk Science #1 (and only?) Science writer Charles Choi explains speciation (and orcs):

http://boingboing.net/2013/07/24/drunk-science-charles-q-choi.html

And also why he will never try this again (along with some nice coverage of the science of black-outs):

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/assignment-impossible/2013/07/25/from-the-writers-desk-drunk-science/

Great article in NYTimes on the race to save florida oranges using gene therapy, and the reactionary attitudes (personal opinion!) of environmentalists:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/28/science/a-race-to-save-the-orange-by-altering-its-dna.html

Michael Pollan takes issue w/ "industry talking points" and Twitteration ensues (it's a good science brawl):

https://twitter.com/michaelpollan/status/361609333013884930

Also, check out the response on Grist:

http://grist.org/food/orange-you-ready-for-a-tall-glass-of-gmos/

Talk about agriculture – Ed Yong on the discovery of bacterial agriculture Amoeboid bacteria farmers:

http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/07/29/how-the-worlds-smallest-farmers-turned-chemists-into-food

Carl Zimmer on recent dueling papers on the motives of mammalian monogamy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/30/science/despite-two-new-studies-on-motives-for-monogamy-the-debate-continues.html

Cyanide and the Neuroscientist – murder most foul:

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/07/cyanide-and-murder-a-science-story/

New, Simpler Brain Clearing protocol published in Nature Neuroscience - just be careful not to brown your brains:

http://thefinchandpea.com/2013/07/29/second-fiddle-better-fiddle/

http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/v16/n8/full/nn.3447.html

A spirited defense of metaphors in science writing:

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/life-unbounded/2013/07/09/in-defense-of-metaphors-in-science-writing/

Finally, some bears kickin it (and scratchin it):

http://boingboing.net/2013/07/29/what-goes-on-when-you-are-not.html

Enjoy!