A problem arises with abstract representational thought where we imbue more significance to the symbol… the word… than to what that word is a symbol of. This is the major failing of most established…

If you were here for Darwin Day 2008 you know what this is all about; a celebration of Darwin and all that his work has accomplished both during his lifetime and since.   To spur participation…

There are some big things happening this week so I will just take a minute to fill everyone in.   Of course, you must know by now Darwin Day is tomorrow and we are doing everything we can to…

Coming up on Darwin's birthday, a lot is written about natural selection by non-biologists because opponents of evolution prefer to believe that biology stopped in 1859.  Criticizing Darwin and…

The central dogma of Molecular Genetics is that information flow is unidirectional:  DNA to RNA to PROTEIN.  That is, DNA holds the blueprints, RNA is the messenger, and Proteins are the…

The big five extinctions  are  regularly the subject of   many investigations, and speculations regarding the causes, the main  culprits  being  often put …

Not sure who to date? Garth Sundem answers it in The Valentine's Day Man-O-Meter. Be sure to take it as gospel because he never just makes stuff up. If you're still unsure who to pursue, you may be…

One of the weaknesses of using a surname as a guide in understanding genetic characteristcs has been the belief that 1 in 10 births were the result of infidelity - so the name is not only an…

Sky diving and base jumping are not for everyone. However, for certain people, the more risk and adrenaline involved in an activity, the better! What draws some people to daredevil behavior while…

Scientists have sequenced over seventy strains of yeast, the greatest number of genomes for any species.  The basic machinery of yeast is surprisingly similar to that of humans, and the project…

Roughly 10 million years ago, a major genetic change occurred in a common ancestor of gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans. Segments of DNA in its genome began to form duplicate copies at a greater rate…

What does uncovering the true authorship of plays attributed to Shakespeare have to do with identifying our genetic ancestors or classifying new life forms? All involve the comparative analysis of…

Hollywood stars of a certain age take note: Research at Berkeley Lab suggests that a protein linked to the spread of several major human cancers may also hold great potential for the elimination of…

A net with large holes won't catch small fish. Likewise, the microscopic fibers in the protective mucus coatings of the eyes, lungs, stomach or reproductive system naturally bundle together and allow…

Show Me The Science Month Day 14 Another abstract will have to do for today's extremely delayed installment; the grant proposal leaves my desk tomorrow, so I hope to be back in business as soon as my…

With pressures hundreds of times that at sea level and temperatures nearly freezing, it's amazing that anything can survive in the deep ocean. The vast amount of space and correspondingly sparse…

This is pretty amazing, although I can't help but be reminded of the morning I came downstairs and discovered that ants had invaded my kitchen overnight. After clicking play, make sure you click the…

    There is only one particle.    The Quantom.   The Universe,  and everything in it,   is actually an illusion,   generated by…

The run up to Valentine's Day is peak period for the lonely hearts business, says an advocacy group for the lonely hearts business. Many singles decide not to leave it to chance at this time of year…

Think there's not enough time to do everything you need to do?   You may just need to change your perception, says Michael DeDonno, a doctoral student in psychology at Case Western Reserve…