Ants, Thanks, and Lab-Grown Meat

Well-researched stories from The Guardian, Polygon, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.

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It’s an Ant’s World (The Guardian)
by Anna Turns
There are 2.5 million ants for every person on Earth. These insects are expert navigators, ecosystem engineers, and a source of knowledge about fascinating biological processes.

Thank-You Notes for the New Year (The Atlantic)
by Abdullah Shihipar
New Year’s resolutions tend to be focused on our individual goals and achievements. Writing thank-you notes is an alternative practice that instead draws our attention to interdependence—and often thrills the recipients.

The New Treasures of the Public Domain Archive (Polygon)
by David Grossman
Always wanted to try your hand at writing a Sherlock Holmes story or remixing the classic sci-fi film Metropolis? Now’s the time, as those and other works entered the public domain on January 1, 2023.

The Future of Vat-Grown Meat (Knowable Magazine)
by Bob Holmes
It may be some time before lab-grown cultured meat can compete with the real stuff on price. But there are some fascinating niches it could fill in the meantime.

How Scared of Synthetic DNA Should We Be? (Undark)
by Michael Schulson
Companies that synthesize DNA are making the process cheaper and more accessible to scientists. What happens if some of them decide to use this technology to make a customized, devastating virus?

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