Shark Populations and Genetic Screenings (Patreon)

Data Presentation Affects Our Expectations

A study from the City University of London has found that connecting data points with a line leads to stronger expectations about the continuation of a trend, an effect that doesn’t occur with bar charts. Paper here, press release here.

Shark and Ray Populations in the Northwest Atlantic are Recovering

A study from researchers at Simon Fraser University found that populations of sharks and rays in the northwest Atlantic are on the rebound following implementation of a U.S. fishery management plan in 1993. While most of the species still have much lower populations than in the 1950s, the trends are good overall and a hopeful sign that well-crafted and enforced laws can help protect biodiversity. Paper here.

A Cheap, Orange Laser

Researchers at Brookhaven National Lab have come up with a simple and inexpensive way of changing the color or laser light by shining it through a tube filled with ionic liquid that preserves the laser-quality of the light. Paper here, press release here.