Coffee and Provocation

There is only one Batman: Adam West.  RIP.

That's a Pretty Wild Trick
In 1988, workers found a 5-year-old bottlenose dolphin trapped in a canal lock in South Australia. During rehab, they put the animal in with trained dolphins who performed for oceanarium visitors, and the wild dolphin learned the "tail walking" trick from them. When the dolphin was released back into the wild, he taught the tail walking trick to other dolphins. Despite the fact that the behavior has no known utility in the wild, other dolphins have taught other dolphins. Today, 25 years following the original wild dolphin's release, and its death in 2009, the trick is still being passed on.  While dolphin story is pretty extraordinary, many birds are quick mimics, and escaped parrots that have learned to mimic human language have long been known to teach the same to their wild brethren.

Neck Deep in Ticks This Summer
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the summer of 2017 is going to see the biggest tick-infestation ever recorded.

Preventing Autoimmune Disorders
There is a very weak association between autoimmune disorders and vaccines, and a much higher correlation between autoimmune disorders and the diseases that vaccines prevent.

Predator Control Can Make a World of Difference
Population decline and local extirpation, or even extinction, of ground nesting birds can happen absent sensible predator control.

Australia's Nightmare World of  Trying to Control Invasive Species
They have tried shooting, fencing, gassing, traps, poison, bounties, viral immuno-contraception, introduced diseases, helicopter snipers, and introduced predators and still they barely make a dent.

Harnessing Bacteria
Introducing Wolbachia bacteria to mosquitoes may help control mosquito-borne diseases.  The problem: you would have to release a whole lot of them.

The Old Man of Morocco
Researchers have found the oldest Homo sapiens remains on record in Morocco. The 300,000-year old remains suggest that the "Out of East Africa" theory may be wrong, as these bones are 100,000 years older and suggest a continent-wide phenomenon.

Bringing Back an "Extinct" Galapagos Tortoise
Researchers say the giant tortoises around Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island are Chelonoidis elephantopus, the though-to-be-extinct Floreana tortoise.


Did Shakespeare Know How to Spell His Name?
Shakespeare never spelled his name that way, and used several other abbreviations and alternate spellings.