What SETI Guru Wants to Know
May 18, 2012
Seth Shostak, a SETI advocate, has two key questions for aliens.
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Shrink Validity Is Shrinking
May 18, 2012
Should you trust the diagnosis of a psychiatrist? If it helps, individuals are free to choose. Behind the scenes, however, there are severe, deep-seated debates about whether psychiatrists understand disorders, let alone diagnose them properly.
Improbable Ape Speaks Randomly
May 15, 2012
It's not uncharitable to call someone an ape when he calls himself that.
Evolutionists Need to Mind Their Matters
May 12, 2012
To a Darwinian evolutionist, the mind is the product of unguided mutations and random environmental pressures acting on material forces. This raises questions about the mind and morals: do they have any validity? Evolutionists need to "mind" their matter. The following examples show how they try to justify these non-material entities arising from matter in motion.
Lamarckism: Dead but Useful
May 11, 2012
Lamarck's theory of evolution was supposed to have died in 1859 when Darwin published his theory of natural selection. Despite textbook depictions of Lamarckism as obsolete, Lamarckian language still surfaces from time to time, even in prestigious journals.
From Toxin to Medicine
May 10, 2012
Botulinum toxin (botox) is now big business in health and fashion, but few may remember it derives from one of the deadliest substances known in nature. Other examples show that some forms of "natural evil" can be seen in a different light.
Best Cave Art Is Still the Oldest
May 9, 2012
A new research study confirms that the exquisite cave art at Chauvet Cave is the oldest.
Evolution for Men and Women
May 8, 2012
Two recent entries in the evolution literature have application to one sex or the other.
Follow the Leader: Plants and Animals
May 7, 2012
Need solutions to engineering problems? Look no further than the plants and animals around you. That's what more and more scientists are doing.
Stem Cells Getting Healthier
May 6, 2012
Over the past decade, stem cells have been a hot news item. Here are some late breaking news stories about them.
We Became Human by Mistake
May 5, 2012
A new theme in human evolution is making the rounds. According to the story, a mistake led to the human brain, and the rest is history.
Why You Are Waterproof
April 29, 2012
Can you imagine inflating like a water balloon every time you jumped in a swimming pool? Or what if water leaked out of your skin every time you drank a glass of water? Your skin forms an impermeable barrier to water, a new study found, because of a unique way certain molecules are arranged.
Humans Evolved from Dogs
February 10, 2012
A new finding shows dogs performing better on one kind of intelligence test than chimpanzees. If evolution teaches that human intelligence is the main trait separating us from other animals, and dogs are smarter than apes, shouldn’t the conclusion be that dogs are closer on the family tree? If not, is it valid for evolutionary biologists to pick and choose the traits that matter?
Rethinking Parasitism
February 4, 2012
Parasitism is bad. Parasitism is evil. Parasites wage war against innocent hosts. This is our mindset. What if parasites can do good? This change of heart seems to be happening for one case, the case of transposable genetic elements. If they are only doing harm to the host, why did some biologists find that “positive selection” seems to be maintaining them? That makes it sound like the cells need them.
Living Surprises, Living Hopes
January 21, 2012
Here are ten recent discoveries about plants and animals that are surprising and inspiring. Some of them may lead to technologies that can improve our own lives.