Human Vision Evolved to See Through Objects [X-ray Vision] (1)
share
digg
by
Lauren Davis (23)
on
io9 (849)
7 hours, 31 minutes
ago
permalink
So many of our superheroes are animal-themed because we perceive non-primates as having remarkable powers. Ants have their super-strength, bats have flight and sonar, and canines have sharp teeth and the ability to detect an open bag of kibble from half a mile away. But a recent study reveals that, from the perspective of the animal kingdom, humans have a superpower of our own: “x-ray” vision. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and California Institute of ...
The 20th Anniversary of Suffer (2)
share
digg
by
milquetoast (3)
on
MetaFilter (247)
12 hours, 11 minutes
ago
permalink
The Cornell Evolution Project, which polls prominent evolutionary scientists about their religious beliefs, is part of a PhD thesis by evolutionary paleontologist and UCLA lecturer Greg Graffin. Mr. Graffin is also the lead singer of a band named Bad Religion, whose influential album Suffer turns 20 years old this week. Though Suffer never charted, it became wildly popular in Southern California and helped to define the late 80's/ early 90's west coast sound -- a ...
What Do Creationists Think About Sarah Palin? (1)
share
digg
on
Little Green Footballs (30)
1 day, 3 hours
ago
permalink
Since I’ve posted two articles about Sarah Palin’s statements on creationism, let’s go across the aisle and see what the fanatical Darwin-hating creationists at “Answers In Genesis” think. They’re also examining Palin’s statements, and of course they’re eagerly hoping she’ll be an advocate for their weird pseudo-science: Is She Really a Creationist? (Notice how they add footnotes everywhere to make it seem like a scholarly work.) Before we look at Gov. Palin’s beliefs on creation/evolution ...
Scientists Find Genetic Root of Opposable Thumb, Upright Gait (2)
share
digg
by
Brandon Keim (90)
on
Wired: Wired Science (11)
1 day, 13 hours
ago
permalink
A patch of DNA once regarded as "junk" may hold the key to upright walking and opposable thumbs. When the DNA was spliced into mice, it activated genes in their thumbs and big toes. Known as HACNS1, the sequence is located in a genomic stretch ignored by early geneticists. Many of these seemingly non-functional sequences have since been found to regulate gene activity. After comparing the human genome to chimpanzees', researchers noticed that HACNS1 had ...
Palin in Comparison: Creationism Should be Taught as Science?? REALLY?? (1)
share
digg
by
Donna Mills (2)
on
MOMocrats™ (35)
5 days, 12 hours
ago
permalink
I've got to hand it to John McCain. His selection of Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate was a stunning choice. I don't mean that in terms of her obvious attractiveness, but in how stunned most of us progressives are at her lack of experience, especially given the arguments McCain and his supporters have put forward about our candidate's time on the national political stage. But after four years in the Senate and 19 ...
15 answers to creationist nonsense (2)
share
digg
by
Daniel Florien (9)
on
Unreasonable Faith (9)
6 days, 19 hours
ago
permalink
Most of you know how to answer creationist nonsense. And you know it almost never works — no matter how many times you show their arguments to be faulty or outdated, they still insist they are right. But for those of you, like myself, who keep trying for some stupid reason, you might enjoy 15 Answers to Creationist Nonsense at Scientific American.
Mosaicism: The World of Horizontal Gene Transfer (Part 1) (1)
share
digg
by
Tim Sampson (2)
on
Blogging for Bacteriophages (2)
1 week
ago
permalink
Commonly, gene transfer is thought of as a vertical line from parent to offspring, along which all evolutionary traits are passed. However, as we began delving into genomic sequences, we found that this may not be true and that the lines between "species," especially on the microbial level, are quite fuzzy.Horizontal gene transfer is the transfer of genetic elements between species. The microbial world is filled with examples of this phenomenon. This article is the ...
McCain's VP Wants Creationism Taught in School (112)
share
digg
by
Brandon Keim (90)
on
Wired Science (76)
1 week, 1 day
ago
permalink
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin wants creationism taught in science classes. In a 2006 gubernatorial debate, the soon-to-be governor of Alaska trotted out the usual creationist education canard: "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of education. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both." Teaching evolution and creationism in a scientifically balanced way is simply impossible. Evolution is accepted by scientists as ...
-
Alex said:
This is one of my non-negotiable issues. I understand a plurality of Americans may hold differing views on evolution, however, so it's clearly not political suicide. This distresses me.
-
Jenna said:
Boo!
-
Eric said:
creationist nonsense.
-
Paul Grenier said:
how many times can I vote again?
-
Josh said:
All those saying McCain wouldn't be Bush 2, please take notice.
-
Joey Doll said:
what about the flying spaghetti monster? my beliefs are being ignored!
-
sevas said:
"Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of education. Healthy debate is so important [...]"what debate ?
-
washwords said:
oh. yay. siggggggh. hopes people realize all "gals" are not the same.
-
fox said:
terrifying
-
straylight said:
http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/story/8347904p-8243554c.htmlYeah, it's true.
Brain School (2)
share
digg
by
Paul Mason (2)
on
Neuroanthropology (0)
1 week, 3 days
ago
permalink
In anticipation of the lecture on the Brain in Greg’s undergraduate Human Evolution class next week, I have compiled a bunch of fun links to learn about brain structure and function. Please suggest a link to your educational blog or a brain school website that I perhaps haven’t included on the list! A brief bio of the brain: From Infancy to Adolescence The infant brain is a highly plastic organ. There is an initial overproduction ...
Humans Evolved to Fear Snakes, Not High-Risk Mortgages or Risks at Traffic Lights (1)
share
digg
on
TreeHugger (405)
1 week, 3 days
ago
permalink
(Screenshot from the film Snakes on a Plane) Is technology, made to better our lives, killing us? Kids have stopped playing on trees, and this isn’t healthy, reported TreeHugger’s Lloyd last week, citing a UK study that found more and more kids staying inside (playing on computers and video games) are avoiding risky play. According to the study, kids need the adventure of “risky” play: “Risk-taking increases the resilience of children,” said one researcher. “It ...
"Science is an integral part of culture" (2)
share
digg
by
nickyskye (3)
on
MetaFilter (247)
1 week, 3 days
ago
permalink
The Unofficial Stephen Jay Gould Archive, an online library dedicated to the Harvard paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould (1941-2002). Includes an excellent selection of videos. And The Official Stephen Jay Gould Archive [still under development], which includes two of his books and his Harvard course online. The Unofficial Stephen Jay Gould Archive was created by Miguel Chavez, a student at Yuba College in Northern California. From The Unofficial Stephen Jay Gould Archive, links. Fun Steinberg cartoon ...
BBC logo design evolution (4)
share
digg
by
David Airey (20)
on
Logo Design Love (1)
1 week, 4 days
ago
permalink
The history of BBC television logos dates back to the 1950s. They were first used by BBC to differentiate their channels from one another. Here are some examples of the older BBC logos along with further resources for more details. BBC can trace its roots back to the year 1936 when it became the world’s first broadcaster of a regular high-definition TV. The first attempt at proper branding dates back to the 1950s when the ...
-
Mancho said:
no ha cambiado mucho, pero en el fondo se evidencia "crecimiento"
The Bird That Dare Not Speak Its Name (1)
share
digg
by
Carl Zimmer (2)
on
The Loom (3)
1 week, 4 days
ago
permalink
Get your sniggering over now. I am going to blog about the Penduline Tit. This post is actually safe for work. The Penduline Tit is not a body part but an ordinary-looking bird. Penduline refers to the pendulous nest that the birds build for their eggs. What makes the bird interesting to me is not its Beavis-and-Butthead caliber name, but how it raises its young. If you think that nature is never destructive, or that ...
Dawkins and the 'fart of god' (1)
share
digg
It's sad that it's even an issue.... (1)
share
digg
by
doyle (0)
on
Science teacher (0)
1 week, 4 days
ago
permalink
A federal judge says the University of California can deny course credit to applicants from Christian high schools whose textbooks declare the Bible infallible and reject evolution. Rejecting claims of religious discrimination and stifling of free expression, U.S. District Judge James Otero of Los Angeles said UC's review committees cited legitimate reasons for rejecting the texts - not because they contained religious viewpoints, but because they omitted important topics in science and history and failed ...
Refuting evolutionary materialism (1)
share
digg
on
Gene Expression (12)
1 week, 4 days
ago
permalink
Update: Please read Sandman's response after you look over this post.... New Evidence Debunks 'Stupid' Neanderthal Myth: Blades were first produced by Homo sapiens during their colonization of Europe from Africa approximately 40,000 years ago. This has traditionally been thought to be a dramatic technological advance, helping Homo sapiens out-compete, and eventually eradicate, their Stone Age cousins. Yet when the research team analysed their data there was no statistical difference between the efficiency of the ...
How were you taught about evolution? (1)
share
digg
on
Laelaps (0)
1 week, 5 days
ago
permalink
In a week I'll be headed back into the dusty, faded-pastel halls of higher learning for the fall semester, and given that I expect many of you will be doing the same I thought I would open up a thread about evolution education. As I have said multiple times, just because creationism isn't being taught doesn't mean that students are receiving a firm grounding in evolutionary biology. In my own experience, during high school evolution ...
NYT > Science (60) permalink
A new video game allows players to create their own evolving organism.Contribute commenta LOLaday (2) permalink
EVOLution I enjoyed this picture :PShared by Amu (10)Contribute commentLatest news, sport, business, comment and reviews from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk (48) permalink
Scientists challenge theory that Homo sapiens were more intelligent with research into use of stone toolsShared by cgsheldon (151) Sue B (19)Contribute comment
