This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
A diverse collection to share this week from ResearchBlogging.org:
At Body Horrors, Rebecca Kreston tells readers tapeworms can grow 22 cm a day or 1 cm per hour - and the longest specimen every found was recorded at an alarming 25 m or 82 ft. Kreston has a somewhat terrifying history of the tapeworm in the United States among Scandinavian and Jewish populations.
The Neuroskeptic discusses research that challenges the understanding of schizophrenia in the developing world. Existing research suggested that recovery rates were higher in developing countries, though reasons why this might be were not readily understood. The research Neuroskeptic reports on identifies some differentiators, but our skeptical host cautions that the perspectives be a bit biased.
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At Up and Down in Moxos, Umberto investigates the hypothesis that Amazonian depopulation could have helped contribute to the Little Ice Age. The proposal is that depopulation caused by European diseases would have led to more abandoned farmlands that would have been reclaimed by reforestation - the process would have had an impact on the climate, driving a cool down. Umberto examines Amazonian population counts to determine if this would have been possible.
At Tropaion, Nikolaos Markoulakis discusses the creation of private ritual spaces within homes in Ancient Greece, tracing steps that echo in the small religious shrines that many observant people establish today.
And finally, at Genealogy of Religion Rousseau meets Frazier as the host explores the relationship between Roman political organization and civic religion.
I'll be back next week with more from anthropology, philosophy, and research.
