Explanatory Filter in Action: Fairy Circles in Africa
June 30, 2012
The old "crop circle" craze fanned the curiosity of many, till humans were filmed making them. Now, scientists have a different circle mystery, and they're stumped.
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Evolution Worked Magic in Plants
June 29, 2012
Some evolutionary papers are filled with verbs like arose, emerged, and originated. Do these convey scientific understanding, or are they veils concealing ignorance? Is it like saying "abracadabra" to say something "arose" by evolution? A recent paper about sophisticated metabolic enzymes in plants is a case in point.
Thank Your Cilia
June 28, 2012
Throughout your body, cilia (protrusions on cells, singular cilium) are monitoring the environment and sweeping your passages clean.
Who Owns Science? Publication Revolution Underway
June 27, 2012
A revolution in scientific publishing may fundamentally alter the power structure over science and result in openness for all.
SETI Gets Good Press
June 25, 2012
For an enterprise that has failed for 50 years, SETI gets good press. There are many worthy enterprises on the planet; what is it about SETI that gets honorable mention with nary a critical word?
Wonders Inside You
June 25, 2012
Do you have any idea how many emergencies are resolved inside your body every day without your conscious knowledge or control? Here are just 3 examples.
Evolution as Lottery Manipulator
June 22, 2012
Lady Luck is often clearly the stated referee of evolutionary events, but the vast number of times evolution wins suggests design afoot.
Why Your Inner Ear Has a Spiral Shape
June 21, 2012
The cochlea in the inner ear, where sound is transmitted to the brain, has a spiral shape resembling a snail shell. It's not just to save space, researchers have found.
Pitcher Plant Inspires R&D Award
June 21, 2012
The R&D 100 award, previously given for inventions like the fax machine and automated teller machine, has been given this year for a biologically-inspired design that could revolutionize society in many ways.
Beethoven Rolls Under Darwin
June 18, 2012
Beethoven may indeed be rolling in his grave, but not for the reasons some Darwin-loving reporters think.
Neanderthal-Heidelberg Distinction Blurs
June 14, 2012
"Heidelberg Man" has been a modern name imposed on certain fossil humans that have been unable to speak for themselves. Now, their bones appear to overlap with Neanderthals. But don't modern humans have Neanderthal DNA? Do the distinctions make any sense?
Animal Olympians Inspire Engineers
June 13, 2012
Here are more stories about animals, plants and cells attracting scientists with their astonishing capabilities, proving that biomimetics is one of the hottest trends in science.
South Korea "Creationism" Means War
June 11, 2012
Give just one side of a controversy the press, and you will get a one-sided presentation of the issues. That happened this week in the journal Nature.
Myth Busters: Flubs in Evolutionary Anthropology
June 10, 2012
Evolutionary psychologists and anthropologists have trouble explaining living humans, let alone past ones.
"Darwin Fail" Entries Add Up
June 8, 2012
If nothing makes sense except in the light of evolution, the light sometimes is shining away from Darwin.