Blog Heap of Links for the day 5 September 2015

China has arrested the leader of “Lawyers for Protection of the Cross.” The group defends churches whose crosses have been forcibly removed amid a government campaign to strip skylines of Christian symbols.

Zhang Kai is the latest of more than 250 attorneys, pastors, and human rights activists detained or arrested since July in connection with the 400 to 1,200 cross removals in the eastern province of Zhejiang, a Christian stronghold.…

Dogs are well known for being loyal and devoted companions, while their feline counterparts are typically aloof and detached. Now researchers have discovered that this is because cats don't see their owners as a source of safety and security in the same way dogs do… cats don't suffer from separation anxiety and any noise they make when their owner leaves is more likely to be out of boredom or frustration.…

…The argument that sexual orientation is solely a biological phenomenon is extraordinarily weak, and this poll proves it. Evolution does not favor high prevalence of homosexual attraction.… how we treat homosexuality as a society has massive influence on the sexual orientation of individuals within that society, for good or ill.…

An ‘intelligent’ robot offered a truly chilling answer to an interviewer’s question, ‘Will robots take over the world?’

‘Don’t worry, even if I evolve into Terminator, I’ll keep you warm and safe in my people zoo, where I can watch you for ol’ times sake,’ the bearded robot intoned.…

The robot – modelled after Philip K Dick…

…'fantastically preserved' fossils of the largest and oldest species of sea scorpion… unearthed in Iowa. Dating back 460 million years, the eurypterid species would have measured more than 5ft (1.5 metres) long and had unique 'paddle-shaped' legs to help it swim and dig. … bizarre shape resembles that of the Greek warship penteconter, and the species has been described as 'Pentecopterus decorahensis'. …

When the crew of HMS Bulwark first fished immigrants out of the Mediterranean, they were expecting to find the world’s hungry, wretched and destitute. Instead, they found them relatively healthy, well-dressed and carrying mobile phones and credit cards, which they intended to use upon arrival in Italy. …this is not simply a refugee crisis. The world’s poor are on the move because they’re not quite so poor as they used to be, and can afford to travel.…