An otter extinction, NFL head injuries, and an award

I have so many articles in the works or pending publication that it almost seems anticlimactic to post this list of last week's published articles. But here goes:

First up, this week's two articles for Scientific American:

Japanese River Otter Declared Extinct

First Purebred Bison Calf Born after Disease-Washing Embryo Transfer

Next, three diverse news stories for Mother Nature Network:

From Starbucks croissants to succinic acid: Baked goods could become bioplastics

Hurricane Isaac deposits oil, possibly from Deepwater Horizon, on Louisiana beaches

Study finds NFL players three times as likely to die of brain disorders

In other news, I'm happy to share that The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction -- for which I have been very, very slowing writing the comics-related entries, won a Hugo Award last week. The editors have embraced a massive undertaking to create this incredible resource and they fully deserve this great honor.

More next week!