Anyone who has read Jane Goodall’s books knows that chimpanzees can be very very violent to others of their species. It came as a shock to Goodall, who had lived with the animals for years before she observed the violence: … Continue reading →
I haven’t yet read Heather Mac Donald’s City Journal article on the Chicago torture case and how it relates to the larger culture, but a lot of people have recommended it. I’ve only had time to very briefly skim it, … Continue reading →
There’s a big mystery under the Antarctic ice: Scientists believe a massive object that could change our understanding of history is hidden beneath the Antarctic ice. The huge and mysterious “anomaly” is thought to be lurking beneath the frozen wastes … Continue reading →
Yesterday Ace linked to an article reporting on a study that appears to be saying saturated fat is good for you. The subtitle at the report’s link indicates that the research “overturned previously accepted wisdom.” Actually, not really. First of … Continue reading →
An astounding discovery: A dinosaur tail fragment preserved in amber has been found in northern Myanmar, according to National Geographic. This remarkable, 99-million-year-old specimen was found by a team of researchers led by China University of Geosciences paleontologist Lida Xing, … Continue reading →
An interesting premise: I’ve read the Left’s indictments, including Chris Mooney’s bestseller, The Republican War on Science. I finished it with the same question about this war that I had at the outset: Where are the casualties? Where are the … Continue reading →
No, that’s not a joke title. See this: Between the months of May and September, tens of millions of migratory seabirds converge on the Arctic where they eat, breed and poop. Over time, the nitrogen in seabird droppings breaks down … Continue reading →
…when first we practice to deceive: Here we provide empirical evidence for a gradual escalation of self-serving dishonesty and reveal a neural mechanism supporting it. Behaviorally, we show that the extent to which participants engage in self-serving dishonesty increases with … Continue reading →
And it’s not the first: Baracktrema obamai isn’t just any parasite. It’s so distinctive that it represents not just a new species but an entirely new genus… B. obamai is a flatworm that infects black marsh turtles and southeast Asian … Continue reading →
Every now and then I lose something and can’t find it, or it takes me a long time to find it. My favorite earring fell off in my car, and seemed to completely disappear. Several years later I found it … Continue reading →
Apparently we have the ability to completely eliminate that very common pest, the mosquito, through genetic engineering: Powerful new gene-editing technologies could allow scientists to program mosquito populations to gradually shrink and die off. Some efforts have gained enough momentum … Continue reading →
I’ve had many an argument—um, discussion—with my son on the topic of artificial intelligence. How far can it go? Could it ever include consciousness? Suffice to say we have not answered the question. Nor have scientists, although there is no … Continue reading →