Tag: Science

The evolutionary paradox of sex

Megan Scudellar has a fascinating article up at The Scientist Magazine on the mystery of why sexual reproduction evolved to be so pervasive: The Sex Paradox | The Scientist Magazine®. Sarah “Sally” Otto was sitting in a lab meeting of evolutionary biologist Marcus Feldman’s group at Stanford University in 1988 when she overheard a graduate student … Continue reading The evolutionary paradox of sex →

Chimpanzees have language

I've read in several places that language is the last uniquely human characteristic.  Well, it turns out chimps communicate with a language of gestures: Researchers Translate the Meaning of Over 60 Gestures Used by Chimps. In the first systematic study of a non-human primate language, scientists from St. Andrew's University have deciphered the meaning of 66 wild … Continue reading Chimpanzees have language →

Extinct human cousin gave Tibetans advantage at high elevation

It looks like ancient humans got around.  It's pretty well known now that most of us have Neanderthal DNA, but apparently a lot us also have Denisovan DNA: Extinct human cousin gave Tibetans advantage at high elevation -- ScienceDaily. Tibetans were able to adapt to high altitudes thanks to a gene picked up when their ancestors … Continue reading Extinct human cousin gave Tibetans advantage at high elevation →

Two Kuiper Belt objects found: Hubble to proceed with full search for New Horizons targets

I always assumed that NASA had plans to explore other Kuiper Belt objects after the New Horizon's probe flew by Pluto.  But I'm a bit surprised that they're just now working out what those objects will be: Two Kuiper Belt objects found: Hubble to proceed with full search for New Horizons targets -- ScienceDaily. Planetary scientists … Continue reading Two Kuiper Belt objects found: Hubble to proceed with full search for New Horizons targets →

Vitamin D apparently has nothing to do with skin color

This article is a reminder that in science, nothing is certain until you have evidence (even then, nothing is totally certain): In human evolution, changes in skin's barrier set northern Europeans apart -- ScienceDaily. The popular idea that northern Europeans developed light skin to absorb more UV light so they could make more vitamin D -- vital … Continue reading Vitamin D apparently has nothing to do with skin color →

Ancient baby boom holds a lesson in over-population

Along the lines of last week's discussion of Jared Diamond's book 'Collapse': Ancient baby boom holds a lesson in over-population -- ScienceDaily. Washington State University researchers have sketched out one of the greatest baby booms in North American history, a centuries-long "growth blip" among southwestern Native Americans between 500 to 1300 A.D. It was a time … Continue reading Ancient baby boom holds a lesson in over-population →

Sean Carroll makes the case for the Many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics

Sean Carroll has posted a passionate defense of the Many-world interpretation to quantum mechanics. I have often talked about the Many-Worlds or Everett approach to quantum mechanics — here’s an explanatory video, an excerpt from From Eternity to Here, and slides from a talk. But I don’t think I’ve ever explained as persuasively as possible why I think it’s the right approach. So that’s what … Continue reading Sean Carroll makes the case for the Many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics →

Naomi Oreskes: Why we should trust scientists

This excellent TED talk by Naomi Oreskes covers many of the same topics we've discussed before, concerning the limitations of scientific expertise, why scientists trust experts in other fields, and why lay people should trust scientific consensuses. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxyQNEVOElU via Naomi Oreskes: Why we should trust scientists | Talk Video | TED.com. Of course, trusting science is … Continue reading Naomi Oreskes: Why we should trust scientists →