LINKS - July 26th, 2023
Welcome to LINKS — my attempt to provide Rhapsody readers with five interesting stories that tell us something about what it means to be human. LINKS is published every Wednesday. Have a link you want to share? Drop it in the comments.
The Psychopathic Path to Success
By David Adam, Knowable Magazine
“A 2016 study of employees in an Australian advertising agency, for example, found that senior executives scored higher than more junior staff on measures of behaviors linked to psychopathic traits — such as being initially charming, poised and calm, but also egocentric, remorseless and lacking in self-blame.
“Other research has suggested that the language used to describe the ideal candidate in executive job ads could actively attract candidates with psychopathic traits. In one especially direct example, a UK firm advertised in 2016 for a “Psychopathic New Business Media Sales Executive Superstar! £50k — £110k.” The ad claimed that one in five CEOs was a psychopath and it wanted a candidate with their positive qualities.
Machu Picchu was home to ancient people from all over South America
By Laura Baisas, Popular Science
“In the study, the team compared the DNA of 34 individuals buried at Machu Picchu over 500 years ago with DNA of other people from around the Inca Empire, as well as some modern genomes from South America. They found that the individuals had come from as far away as Amazonia (which includes parts of present-day Brazil, Bolivia, and Colombia), but only a few shared DNA with each other. This indicates that they had been brought to Peru as individuals rather than as part of a family unit or community group.”
Sharp criticism of controversial ancient-human claims tests eLife’s revamped peer-review model
By Ewen Callaway, Nature
“Archaeologists in South Africa wowed viewers of a Netflix documentary — released last week — with stunning scenes of a cramped cave crammed with bone fossils that, they argue, are the remains of the earliest-known burial by humans or their extinct relatives.
“But days earlier, four scientists who peer-reviewed the paper making those claims called the supporting evidence “inadequate”, in an assessment that sits alongside the paper in the open-access journal eLife. The studies are a high-profile test of eLife’s new publishing model, in which it no longer formally accepts papers, but instead publishes them alongside peer reviewers’ reports.”
Skin cancer cases are rising. Here's what we can do about it
By Hayley Bennett, Science Focus
“On a global scale, rates vary, but Eastern European countries are seeing some of the largest increases in melanoma. Meanwhile, there’s some evidence to suggest that in Australia, which has traditionally had the worst rates, skin cancer cases are starting to plateau, with recent declines seen in under 40s.
“Globally, rates are expected to continue rising, with the International Agency for Research on Cancer predicting an increase from 1.5 million new skin cancer cases in 2020 to 2.7 million in 2040.”
It’s So Hot, They’re Growing Mangoes in Italy
By Margherita Stancati & Matthew Dalton, Photographs by Edu Bayer, The Wall Street Journal
“This year, prolonged drought and the scorching heat have hit agricultural production especially hard, wreaking havoc from the olive groves of Spain to the wheat fields of Algeria, reducing yields and pushing farmers to consider switching to hardier crops.
“The recent heat wave has affected food production in other ways, too. Cows are producing less milk and bees are less willing to forage for pollen, with honey production down 70% compared with last year in Italy, according to Coldiretti, the country’s agricultural trade association.”