A shorter list this week, because I spent two days leaking rhinoviruses…

So, the arsenic bacteria. For anyone not paying attention, bacteria in Mono Lake (a) can possibly incorporate arsenic into their DNA and other important molecules, (b) aren’t aliens, and (c) don’t represent another origin of life.

“Self-awareness is like gravity… We can’t touch it directly, so if we want to measure it, scientists must develop valid techniques to directly observe its effects.” Maggie Koerth-Baker has a brilliant piece about the flaws in the mirror test, a classic assessment of self-awareness.

Reactivating an enzyme called telomerase reverses some signs of ageing in mice. An awesome and dramatic study and here are two responsible pieces of coverage that get