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ScienceHealthEbola Species Thought to Be Harmless to Humans Can Sicken Pigs, Raising Alarm Bells
U.S. government scientists have shown in the lab, for the first time, that pigs can become severely sick from a particular species of the Ebola virus, called Reston ebolavirus (RESTV). The virus is known for being the only species of Ebola not to sicken people so far. But the discovery suggests that it can still … Continued
By Ed Cara -
io9MoviesPorco Rosso Is Hayao Miyazaki’s Most Underrated Masterpiece
It’s pretty safe to say that if you’re an io9 reader, you’ve probably seen at least one Hayao Miyazaki movie (and likely more). Along with the legendary Studio Ghibli, the anime production company he co-founded, Miyazaki has made some of the greatest and most celebrated animated movies ever. But there’s one film of his that … Continued
By Rob Bricken -
Tech NewsPiglets Born With Monkey Cells Are a World First
Scientists in China created piglets whose organs contained some monkey cells. The piglets all died within a week, illustrating the challenges ahead as researchers work toward the goal of growing human organs inside other animals. These pig-monkey chimeras are a scientific first, but to be clear, we’re not talking about some kind of dystopian half-pig, … Continued
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ScienceBiology‘Apocalypse in The Making’: Authorities to Use Drones and Snipers to Kill Infected North Korean Pigs
South Korea plans to slaughter invading diseased pigs on Tuesday using troops of swine assassins and thermal-imaging drones. The nation’s agriculture ministry announced on Sunday that the government planned the boarish strike to hinder an influx of pigs carrying African swine fever coming into the nation from North Korea, according to a report from South … Continued
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ScienceBiologyUnprecedented Video Shows Pigs Using Tools
Pigs may never fly, but they’re capable of using tools, as fascinating new research demonstrates. Chimps, elephants, dolphins, otters, crows, and, of course, humans, are among the few creatures on Earth known to use tools. We can now add pigs to this exclusive list, thanks to new research published this week in Mammalian biology. Over … Continued
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ScienceBiologyFarmers Jailed for Smuggling Boar Semen in Shampoo Bottles
A pair of farmers in Australia have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in an elaborate semen racket. Henning Laue and Torben Soerensen pled guilty to breaking biosecurity and quarantine laws for smuggling Danish pig semen into the country, according to Australia’s ABC News. The traffickers concealed the semen in shampoo bottles and imported … Continued
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io9The Magicians’ Julia Meets a Literal Sexist Pig in the First Clip From Season 5
Some very big events took place in the season four finale of Syfy’s The Magicians. What adventures can we expect next? A new clip out of San Diego Comic-Con gives us a small tease. The Magicians had a panel at SDCC on Saturday with Stella Maeve, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Hale Appleman, Arjun Gupta, Summer Bishil, … Continued
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ScienceBiologyWow, Spain Sure Has a Lot of Pigs
There are now enough pigs in Spain that technically everyone could have one, and there’d be pigs to spare. Per the Guardian, Spanish environmental ministry figures reveal that the country now has 50 million oinking piggies, which is about 3.5 million more than the number of humans. That’s the first recorded time the nation has … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech News
Scientists Kept Disembodied Pig Brains ‘Alive’ for 36 Hours—and It’s Testing Our Conceptions of Death
A neuroscientist from Yale University is claiming to have developed a technique that preserves the brain tissue of pigs for an extended period following decapitation. The brains are apparently not conscious, but the new technique is raising a number of important ethical issues. As Antonio Regalado reports in MIT Technology Review, Yale neuroscientist Nenad Sestan … Continued
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Tech News
Texas Wants You to Hunt Feral Hogs From Hot Air Balloons
People in New York love to complain about their cockroaches and rats and bedbugs, but deep in the heart of Texas, residents are faced with decidedly larger kinds of pests. Feral hogs have spread far and wide, and Texas has decided enough is enough. That’s right, folks: The state wants you to hunt them from … Continued
By Alex Cranz -
Tech News
Genetically Engineered Super Pigs Could Make Your Bacon Better
For pig farmers, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome is a disaster. Once dubbed the “mystery swine disease,” it emerged in the late 1980’s on farms in Europe and the US and spread rapidly, causing piglets to die and adult pigs to be afflicted with fever, lethargy, and respiratory distress. It is a major problem facing … Continued
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Tech News
Human-Pig Chimeras Suggest a Long Road to Organ Farming
Several dozen embryos sat in a lab that seemed straight out of a David Lynch film—part pig, part human. It’s just the first step in a strange journey that may one day lead to a new way to grow and harvest human organs. Human organs are a scarce commodity, and almost 80,000 people are currently … Continued
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Tech News
Amazing Plan to Save Rare Pig Breed From Extinction: Eat Them
A Maine farm owner believes that the only way to ensure a rare breed of pig survives is to get people interested in eating them. Susan Frank—whose farm is home to dozens of the country’s remaining 500 registered purebred mulefoot hogs—has received $50,000 from the US Department of Agriculture to help save the rare pig. … Continued
By Eve Peyser -
Tech News
Damn, There’s a Lot of Nipple Bacon Out There
Good morning, everyone. Fancy waking up to some delicious, sizzling bacon? Sometimes, the fleshy animal goodness we consume reminds us that it’s just that—animal body parts. And sometimes, it reminds us by having a nipple still attached. Urban Dictionary designates “nipple bacon” as a sex act, but that’s not real nipple bacon. Real nipple bacon … Continued
