If you thought we were serious (and not sarcastic), you’re probably not alone. People often take a stab at sarcasm in texts and emails, only to end up sending mixed messages. That’s because in order for sarcasm to resonate – and not be misconstrued – context, facial expression and tone of voice all play a role. Psychologist Sara Peters explores the role of sarcasm in the digital age, pointing to some new tools texters and tweeters have to ensure their sarcastic barbs aren’t misconstrued.

Fish farming has a spotty reputation among many Western social scientists and development advocates, who view it as mainly producing high-value species like shrimp for export to wealthy nations. But new research shows that in fact, aquaculture is an increasingly important food source in the global south, where it is widely accessible to poorer consumers.

In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” published 200 years ago, the title scientist was bioengineering life by stitching together body parts he’d recovered from the graveyard. Rereading the book, University of Washington biochemistry Ph.D. student Ian Haydon realized that if Shelley wrote the book today, Dr. Frankenstein “would surely be a synthetic biologist,” working instead with the molecules of life. Luckily, scientific ethics have advanced along with the high-tech equipment and ingredients.