Rowan Hooper

Beautiful freak in Ecuador's life raft of the frogs

newscientist.com — FROGS struggle to capture the public's imagination. Perhaps conservationists should make this their poster child: the gloriously freakish fringe tree frog ( Cruziohyla craspedopus). It looks like it belongs in Pan's Labyrinth or a Hayao Miyazaki fantasy. In fact, this individual lives in something almost as magical: Balsa de los Sapos, "the life raft of the frogs".

image uploaded by @rowhoop

ow.ly — Tweet Share Original Size

Aum death-row inmates to be grilled in open court during cultist's trial

japantimes.co.jp — Three Aum Shinrikyo members on death row are to be questioned in open court in the trial of Makoto Hirata, a former senior Aum member accused of helping to kidnap a notary clerk killed by the doomsday cult, the Tokyo District Court announced.

BMJ criticisms of Tamiflu questioned

newscientist.com — Governments have been stockpiling the antiviral drug oseltamivir as a defence against pandemic flu. Now the medical journal BMJ has claimed there is insufficient evidence that the drug prevents serious complications of flu to warrant the policy.

Beautiful freak in Ecuador's life raft of the frogs

newscientist.com — FROGS struggle to capture the public's imagination. Perhaps conservationists should make this their poster child: the gloriously freakish fringe tree frog ( Cruziohyla craspedopus). It looks like it belongs in Pan's Labyrinth or a Hayao Miyazaki fantasy. In fact, this individual lives in something almost as magical: Balsa de los Sapos, "the life raft of the frogs".

How Darwin helped invent the idea of aliens

io9.com — The 19th century was still trying to wrap its head around the theory of evolution when a group of scientists decided to up the ante and declare that the universe was teeming with "ultra-terrestrial" life. Evolution was occurring on myriad planets, they said, and the Earth was just one tiny outpost of creation.

Shortlist announced for ABSW Awards

absw.org.uk — Association of British Science Writers - Shortlist Announced for 2013 Journalism Awards The judging panel has met and decided the shortlists for the Association of British Science Writers' Awards for Britain and Ireland 2013.

Will new tectonic fault system kill the Atlantic?

newscientist.com — The dying Mediterranean Sea may have contaminated the Atlantic with a subduction zone. One day, it could help destroy the vast ocean. Oceans come and go over hundreds of millions of years. New ones are born when continents are ripped apart, allowing hot magma to bubble up and solidify into oceanic crust.

Beautiful freak in Ecuador's life raft of the frogs

newscientist.com — FROGS struggle to capture the public's imagination. Perhaps conservationists should make this their poster child: the gloriously freakish fringe tree frog ( Cruziohyla craspedopus). It looks like it belongs in Pan's Labyrinth or a Hayao Miyazaki fantasy. In fact, this individual lives in something almost as magical: Balsa de los Sapos, "the life raft of the frogs".