Monthly Archives: January 2020

Strange Science: Australian Birds of Prey and Fire

Australian ornithologists have found evidence that birds of prey sometimes use fire to drive their prey out of hiding. Aboriginal Australians have stories of birds carrying fire, which modern witnesses have now corroborated. “Black kites (Milvus migrans), whistling kites (Haliastur … Continue reading

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Other Evolution Stories

If you enjoyed Monday’s story about a species evolving, check out these other stories! “Reproductive Strategy in a New Giant Carnivorous Ostracod” by Rebecca Siân Pyne (genetic adaptations of a species in which there are no males) (available in MSJ … Continue reading

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Alumni on Preliminary Stoker Ballot!

Three MSJ alumni have netted a total of four slots on the preliminary ballot for the Stoker Award! For short fiction, two of our alumni made the list: Kiste, Gwendolyn – “The Eight People Who Murdered Me (Excerpt from Lucy … Continue reading

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That Man Behind the Curtain – December 2019

December involved the publishing of our final quarterly and shipping it out to relevant parties. Here’s a look at the numbers.

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Fiction: Canis ignis

An essay by Derek Bradley, as provided by Cory Swanson Art by Leigh Legler At first, the wolves were shot. People didn’t want to come into the park and see the majestic herbivores chased to their demise by hungry predators. … Continue reading

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Strange Science: Living Chandelier

An EU inventor has come up with a way to craft a chandelier with algae to clean the air while it lights the room. The chandelier has glass leaves containing algae, which can help to process carbon dioxide and produce … Continue reading

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How Does It Snow When It’s Above Freezing?

Snow is unusual in Seattle, where the staff for MSJ live, because it so rarely gets below freezing here. Sometimes, though, we see snow in the forecast (and actual snowflakes) when the temperature is above freezing. Curious as to how … Continue reading

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Awesome Finds: An Ancient Celtic Tree Burial

Archaeologists in Zurich, Switzerland, found the 2,200-year-old remains of a Celtic woman who was buried in a tree. The burial was from roughly the first century B.C., and the woman may have been part of a Celtic community in Switzerland … Continue reading

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More Stories about Pathogens and Viruses

If you enjoyed yesterday’s story about pathogens, here are a few stories from the MSJ archives you might also enjoy! “Disinhibited” by Myna Chang (a bounty hunter trying to help stop an outbreak) “Love Bites” by James A. Conan (alien … Continue reading

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Fiction: Do Not Touch

An essay by Professor Caldwell Mook, as provided by Nick Morrish Art by Luke Spooner I was recently the recipient of a sizeable bequest from Sir Blumquist Plimpington, a speculative microbiologist with whom I worked during the Manhattan Frog Pox … Continue reading

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