Bird Tricks
April 24, 2015
News about feathered friends and flying wonders, and speculations about how they evolved.
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"Convergent Evolution" Widespread at All Scales in Ocean
April 20, 2015
A study of marine tetrapods that "evolved" for ocean life shows "convergent evolution" rampant at all scales over "hundreds of millions of years."
100,000 Galaxies Without a Sign of Life
April 19, 2015
An orbiting infrared telescope found no clear signs of life in 100,000 galaxies.
What You're Not Being Told About Earth's Magnetic Field
April 17, 2015
The simple story for the public: a dynamo creates the earth's magnetic field. The real story: complex scenario needed to start it and keep it running.
Cosmic Ruler Flawed
April 13, 2015
Type 1a supernovae, vital to estimates of the size and expansion of the universe, are not uniform. This has cosmic implications.
Human Epoch or Epic Hubris?
April 11, 2015
Evolutionary geologists are toying with an idea for a new time period, the "Anthropocene Epoch." What for?
Solving Moon Origin Unsolves the Last Solution
April 9, 2015
The moon's origin has been "demystified," scientists are claiming. That's what they said last time.
How Rocks Can Look Older Than They Are
April 8, 2015
Researchers find that the most common dating method can produce "spuriously old" dates.
Of Brontosaurus, Cartoons, and Revisionism
April 7, 2015
With the resurrection of Brontosaurus as a valid dinosaur name after a century of repudiation, what's a kid to think? Thoughts on science's arbitrary and tentative nature.
Messages from Mercury
April 6, 2015
With MESSENGER in its final days before impact, the innermost planet has become a familiar place.
Animal Excellence Exceeds Mere Survival
April 4, 2015
A tiny bird could live like other birds do without having to fly non-stop for 1,700 miles. Other examples abound of over-design in the animal world.
Plants Borrow Their Transportation
April 2, 2015
Seed dispersal in plants is a fascinating study about diverse mechanisms for survival. Here are two methods of hitchhiking on animal transportation.
Biomimetics Still Trending Up
March 28, 2015
The imitation of nature's designs (biomimetics) is all the rage, and shows no sign of slowing down.
Evidence-Based Cosmology
March 27, 2015
From what we observe, we can draw inferences without the need to posit occult phenomena.
Stone Tools Still Have Animal Residue
March 25, 2015
Claimed to be half a million years old, stone tools found in Israel still contain traces of animal fat and vegetable matter.