Linketies: Science Friday

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  A curious case of poisoned cows at a ranch in Texas presents us with another lesson in the need for caution in science. A reporter at a CBS affiliate rushed to report that the cows were killed by genetically modified grass. But she apparently never bothered to do some basic research before publishing the story--including looking up what the word "hybrid" means.
  


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  From human-animal hybrids to hive minds to uploading consciousness to a computer, various scientists, philosophers, and science fiction writers have imagined some strange futures for the evolution of humanity.
  


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  It seems that the Higgs boson may have been found.
  


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  With the theory that former PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat may have been a victim of polonium poisoning, Wired magazine explores the history of using radioactive poisons (such as polonium-210) for assassinations, including the killing of a Russian spy and dissident in 2006.
  


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  Although it must be emphasized that it is virtually impossible to say that global warming is responsible for any given weather event, this week's heat wave that broke more than 3,500 records across the country may be a sign of what's to come. Scientists have long warmed that climate change will likely lead to more severe and more frequent extreme weather events. The good news is that the American public may finally be paying attention. A recent New York Times poll shows that a vast majority of Americans are linking the extreme weather to climate change.
  


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  Researchers have found a way to maintain electrical connections in conductive plastics even when those materials are stretched to four times their normal size. The key is using highly porous materials and filling the pores with liquid metal. The breakthrough could lead to all sorts of wearable electronics and medical tools becoming more practical.
  


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  In a new idea for finding evidence of past or present life on Mars, there is increasing international interest in missions to the Martian moon Phobos. The idea is that samples from Phobos could contain Martian material that was blasted from the red planet by asteroid impacts.