Technical objections to the idea that Neandertals interbred with the ancestors of Eurasians have been overcome, thanks to a new genome analysis method. The technique can more confidently detect the genetic signatures of interbreeding than previous approaches and will be useful for evolutionary studies of other ancient or rare DNA samples. via Humans and … Continue reading Humans and Neandertals interbred, new method confirms — ScienceDaily
Category: Zeitgeist
Dungeons & Dragons & Philosophers – Existential Comics
Probably only amusing if you know something about both philosophy and D&D. Click though for the full version. via Dungeons & Dragons & Philosophers - Existential Comics.
10 of the Greatest Myths in Psychology – Myth over Mind
RealClearScience has an article on long standing popular psychology myths. The language is a bit loose, implying that professional psychologists might hold these, but I think they're definitely pervasive among the public. Psychology is rife with misinformation and falsehoods. And sadly, the vast majority of them show no signs of vacating popular culture. In 2009, … Continue reading 10 of the Greatest Myths in Psychology – Myth over Mind
What is mathematics about? – James Franklin – Aeon
James Franklin has an interesting piece today at Aeon, asking what exactly mathematics is. He looks at Nominalism and Platonism, but discounts both in favor of Aristotelian Realism, which is something I'd not heard of before but seems equivalent to the idea that mathematics is empirical. What is mathematics about? We know what biology is about; … Continue reading What is mathematics about? – James Franklin – Aeon
xkcd: Cosmologist on a Tire Swing
A few years ago the "it's senseless to ask what came before the big bang because there was no before" meme was hot. I remember Stephen Hawking saying it in his documentary a year or two ago. There now seems to be a good amount of push-back from the rest of the cosmology community to this certitude. … Continue reading xkcd: Cosmologist on a Tire Swing
Global Warming for Beginners — Starts With A Bang! — Medium
Ethan Siegel on global warming. If you are still a skeptic about global warming, please consider taking a few minutes to learn about it. If you had never heard of global warming before, how would you figure out whether it’s happening? “There is no question that climate change is happening; the only arguable point is what … Continue reading Global Warming for Beginners — Starts With A Bang! — Medium
One Plus One Equals Two. ALLEGEDLY. — The Nib — Medium
Somewhat related to some of our recent conversations about mathematics. Click through to see the full comic. via One Plus One Equals Two. ALLEGEDLY. — The Nib — Medium.
How a Medieval Philosopher Dreamed Up the ‘Multiverse’ | Space.com
The idea that our universe may be just one among many out there has intrigued modern cosmologists for some time. But it looks like this "multiverse" concept might actually have appeared, albeit unintentionally, back in the Middle Ages. When scientists analyzed a 13th-century Latin text and applied modern mathematics to it, they found hints that … Continue reading How a Medieval Philosopher Dreamed Up the ‘Multiverse’ | Space.com
RealClearScience – End the Hype over Epigenetics & Lamarckian Evolution
You might recall from high school biology a scientist by the name of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. He proposed a mechanism of evolution in which organisms pass on traits acquired during their lifetimes to their offspring. The textbook example is a proposed mechanism of giraffe evolution: If a giraffe stretches its neck to reach higher leaves on … Continue reading RealClearScience – End the Hype over Epigenetics & Lamarckian Evolution
Microbes May Have Fueled Permian Extinction, Earth’s Biggest
A microbial feeding frenzy may have fueled the biggest mass extinction in Earth's history, new research suggests. The findings suggest that bacteria, with a little help from massive volcanism, produced large quantities of methane, thereby killing 90 percent of life on the planet. more at Microbes May Have Fueled Permian Extinction, Earth's Biggest. I've often wondered … Continue reading Microbes May Have Fueled Permian Extinction, Earth’s Biggest
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