Here’s an attention-getter: Ancient Scorpion Was Bigger Than Car Nov. 21, 2007 — This was a bug you couldn’t swat and definitely couldn’t step on. British scientists have stumbled across a fossilized claw, part of an ancient sea scorpion, that is of such large proportion it would make the entire creature the biggest bug ever. […]
Human beings are unusual creatures in many ways — one distinction that often gets overlooked is that we are land-dwelling mammal that isn’t furry. How did this come about? Scientific American says there are three possible explanations: We used to be semi-aquatic. This theory imagines our human ancestors foraging for food in shallow water. I […]
Human beings are unusual creatures in many ways — one distinction that often gets overlooked is that we are land-dwelling mammal that isn’t furry. How did this come about? Scientific American says there are three possible explanations: We used to be semi-aquatic. This theory imagines our human ancestors foraging for food in shallow water. I […]
If you find the blogosphere’s obsession with politics to be as pointless as I do, don’t miss Michael Anissimov’s new entry at Accelerating Future: Why Utilitarians Should Focus on Technology. Michael writes: Our minds are programmed to overfocus on politics, and underfocus on technology. The reason why is that our ancestors evolved in an environment […]
I will be attending this conference Monday and Tuesday of next week: For two days in May, three hundred librarians will meet with visionaries from the disciplines of anthropology, architecture, public policy and science to discuss the future of libraries. By looking outside of the library, we seek to explore unique ideas that will make […]
This is pretty interesting: Pre-life molecules present in comets from PhysOrg.com Evidence of atomic nitrogen in interstellar gas clouds suggests that pre-life molecules may be present in comets, a discovery that gives a clue about the early conditions that gave rise to life, according to researchers from the University of Michigan and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center […]
In his update to my Meet the Designer entry, Stephen provides links to two pieces currently running on TCS that have some interesting things to say about the Intelligent Design debate. I have some thoughts on both of these pieces. Let’s begin with… An Open e-mail to Sallie Baliunas Hi Sallie – Very much enjoyed […]
In the latest newsletter of the Accelerating Studies Foundation, John Smart offers up not so much a defense of Intelligent Design as a critique of the reductionist approach that many strict evolutionists take to the argument. Smart writes: While a significant fraction of ID is unfortunately driven by religious rather than scientific motives, painting all […]
My two older boys found this moth this morning on our back porch. Those guys were freaking out. “Mom, Dad, a giant moth is on the back porch.” “Is it a Luna Moth?” I asked – my oldest caught a Luna last summer. “No sir. Hurry! It’s huge!” Well, it IS big. It’s called a […]
GeekPress reports that early risers are mutants. Actually, the early riser angle is Paul’s spin on the story, but what we’re dealing with, here, is somewhat different: [Susan]Middlebrook suffers from what is known as familial advanced sleep phase syndrome, or FASPS. Her body’s clock is out of sync with the sleep-wake rhythm most of the […]