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I grabbed this book solely on the back of a tweet from Joss Whedon but it then languished in my TBR pile for months. With the book finally being released in Australia I thought it was time to pick it up and was immediately sucked in. Catherine Lacey’s writing style is electrifying. She skillfully balances […]

The search for human origins is a fascinating story – from the Middle Ages, when questions of the earth’s antiquity first began to arise, through to the latest genetic discoveries that show the interrelatedness of all living creatures. Central to the story is the part played by fossils – first, in establishing the age of the Earth; then, following Darwin, in the pursuit of possible ‘Missing Links’ that would establish whether or not humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor. John Reader’s passion for this quest – palaeoanthropology – began in the 1960s when he reported for Life Magazine on Richard Leakey’s first fossil-hunting expedition to the badlands of East Turkana, in Kenya. Drawing on both historic and recent research, he tells the fascinating story of the science as it has developed from the activities of a few dedicated individuals, into the rigorous multidisciplinary work of today.

In these videos, John Reader, author of Missing Links: In Search of Human Origins talks about the treasure hunt that is the search for the missing link.

Is it possible to discover the missing link?

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What is it like finding the remains of an ancient pre-humanoid?

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Can scientists draw firm conclusions from fossil finds?

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John Reader is Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Anthropology, University College London. A writer and photographer with more than fifty years of professional experience, his work has included contributions to major international publications, television documentaries and a number of books, including including The Untold History of the Potato, Africa, Pyramids of Life with Harvey Croze, and Rise of Life. His latest book, Missing Links: In Search of Human Origins, published in October 2011. John Reader has previously written about Australopithecus sediba for OUPblog.

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Yesterday, news broke that four New York Times journalists in Libya were released six days after they were captured by pro-government forces while covering a rebel uprising in the country’s east.

However, The Committee to Protect Journalists remains concerned about 13 other journalists who are either missing or are reportedly in Libyan government custody, including editorial cartoonist Mohamed al-Amin and five other Libyan journalists.

Who are you missing today?

Have you seen this cat?

Kitty

This is Kitty. She’s currently residing at my parent’s house. I’d like to find her smaller twin to have at my house. So far, I haven’t been able to find her online or in fabric or vintage stores, so I thought I’d post about it in case someone knows where I can find her. Have you seen her?

Kitty was sold as a pre-printed fabric in the 1960s and 70s that you could cut out and sew to make a toy. There were two sizes of cats, this one and a smaller one. (I’m looking for the smaller one, but I’ll take either or both!) My mom found this one a while back, but they didn’t have the small size and she hasn’t seen them since. I’ve seen them called, “Charlie,” online, but nobody seems to have the fabric or the small version of the cat.

Wondering why I’m looking for Kitty? She was my original muse.

Thanks for your help!!