3-D Printing Is a Simplified Form of Biomimetics
October 21, 2013
One of the hottest industrial revolutions in progress is 3-D printing. It can't hold a candle, though, to biological materials construction.
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Marvelous Machines That Keep You Running
October 5, 2013
Here are just a few of the recent reports describing the intricate biological machines on which life depends.
Sherpa Fitness Is Not Evolution
September 22, 2013
A study about mutations that might confer benefit to high-altitude Sherpas is being announced as an example of evolution, but variation within species is not Darwinian evolution.
DNA in Amber Doesn't Last Long
September 17, 2013
Claims of ancient DNA hundreds of thousands of years old may be false. No DNA was found in an insect encased in amber said to be 10,600 years old.
More Reasons to Love Plants
September 10, 2013
For food, for visual pleasure, and for the health of the whole planet, plants are worth loving and learning about.
Genetic Convergent Evolution Strains Credibility
September 6, 2013
"Convergent evolution" is the term given to similar designs that shouldn't be related. Recent widespread examples threaten to make the term lose any coherence it might have had
Ethical Stem Cells Can Be Used Unethically
September 1, 2013
Induced pluripotent stem cells allow researchers to ethically create any cell type from an adult cell, raising hopes for regenerative medicine. Eyebrows started to raise recently, though, when labs grew brains with them and turned others into sperm and egg cells.
What's a Hairy Wood Ant Good For?
August 31, 2013
A humble, rare ant might help humans learn how to communicate better with networks. It's just one of many ways nature is inspiring technology that approaches perfection.
Well, Duh; Adam and Eve Were Contemporaries
August 8, 2013
New genetic studies confirm the existence of a "Y-Chromosome Adam" and "Mitochondrial Eve" but, contrary to earlier analyses, place them in the same time frame.
More Evidence for Epigenetic Controls on Genetics
July 31, 2013
Epigenetics has become a hot topic in biology. There are players "above DNA"– some heritable – that may be more important than the genetic code itself.
Birds and Their Evolution (or Design)
July 30, 2013
Several recent science papers try to find evolution in bird brains, genes, and behaviors. Do they succeed?
Amazing Cures from Adult Stem Cells
July 29, 2013
Regrowing organs and other miracle cures may be coming to a hospital near you, thanks to progress with adult stem cells.
Remarkable Cell Processes That Keep You Alive
July 27, 2013
Within the factories of molecular machines that run living cells, including those in the human body, processes occur non-stop that are designed to meet every contingency. Here are just a few examples.
Parallel Universe of Microbial "Dark Matter" Revealed
July 20, 2013
As scientists continue to find incredible diversity in the smallest of organisms, realizations of all we've been missing are changing conceptions of life.
Stem Cell Wars Continue
July 14, 2013
The race continues between scientists desperately seeking a rationale for harvesting human embryos and those who say, having adult stem cells and iPS cells available, they are unnecessary – and their use is unethical.