An amazing teen inventor, tortoise symbiosis and New Zealand irony

Another Monday, another batch of the previous week's article links!

First up, here are my two Extinction Countdown articles for the week for Scientific American. Yes, I wrote about baobab trees and giant tortoises again!

Giant Tortoises and Baobab Trees: Imperfect Apart

Rare Monkey Population up 50 Percent in China and Tibet

Next, I hope you'll check out my latest feature for IEEE's The Institute. I have profiled most of the IEEE President's Scholarship winners over the last few years and it's always one of my favorite gigs. This young man is a real inspiration.

Communication Device for Deaf and Blind Wins IEEE President’s Scholarship


And finally, here are several science, health and eco-activism stories for Mother Nature Network:

Why do bacteria become virulent? It's all about the signal

Dislike: Facebook makes you sad, says study

New Zealand, the world's third-most obese country, threatens to deport obese chef

Author and activist Wendell Berry, called a modern-day Thoreau, receives prestigious prize


I'm working on something like five hundred and eighty-seven new articles right now. Make sure to follow me on Twitter for links as they go live!