A movie monster, appearing in different forms in a series of movies, proves inspirational to two calculating scientists. They explain their calculations, in this study: “A Movie Monster Evolves, Fed by Fear,” Nathaniel J. Dominy and Ryan Calsbeek, Science, vol. 364, no. 6443, May 31, 2019, pp. 840-84. (Thanks to Tony Tweedale for bringing this […]
Tag: evolution
Did Bigger Penises Evolve to Protect Hermit Crabs’ Private Property?
Sex, economics, evolution, and stuckness all play roles in this new study about the evolution of larger penises in hermit crabs: “Private parts for private property: evolution of penis size with more valuable, easily stolen shells,” Mark E. Laidre, Royal Society Open Science, epub 2019. (Thanks to Thomas Michel for bringing this to our attention.) […]
Justin Bieber’s opinion on the Big Bang – inconsequential, or not? (new study)
“The vast majority of scientists believe that humans have evolved over time (98%; Pew Research Center, 2015). However, recent public opinion polls indicate much more variability in the views of the general public; only 65% of Americans (Pew Research Center, 2015), 61% of Canadians (Angus Reid Public Opinion Polls, 2012), and similar amounts of British […]
Evolution and motorcycles, musingly
John Long, a professor of paleontology at Flinders University, muses about motorcycles and evolution, in an essay published in The Conversation: “What evolution and motorcycles have in common: let’s take a ride across Australia.” It says, in small part: “By sheer coincidence, the distance from Perth to Melbourne is about 3,500km, a route I travelled on […]
Fancy Upgrade Car Wheels and their Evolutionary Significance (study)
“Charles Darwin considered costly traits that could not be accounted for by survival advantage, such as peacock tails, problematic to his theory of evolution by natural selection. He later realized that these features conferred reproductive advantage in the acquisition of mating partners.” Could this peacock tail insight be applied to humans? Specifically male humans? More […]
The Human Chin – an enduring puzzle
“Despite the vast amount written on the chin, it is deserving of continued attention, for perhaps understanding the chin will reveal some unexpected insight into what it means to be human.” – explain Dr James D. Pampush (Duke University, US) and Dr David J. Daegling ( University of Florida, US). They add to the literature […]
The purpose of the prominent human external nose (a theory)
Many might have wondered, at one time or another, about the purpose of the prominent human external nose. Of those people, Howard D. Stupak, M.D., who is Assistant Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery and Chair, Department of Otolaryngology at Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, has a […]
Whack-an-E. coli with the Morbidostat
E. coli figure prominently and violently in this study: “Whack-an-E. coli with the Morbidostat,” Ofer Fridman, Amir Goldberg and Nathalie Q Balaban, Genome Biology, 2012 Jan 27;13(1):140. The caption to figure 1 of the paper reads: “The morbidostat, as a whack-a-mole game, maintaining constant evolutionary pressure despite the evolution of protective mechanisms. An Escherichia coli culture is […]
Genetic Deterioration over Nine Generations of Cloned Gingerbread Men
“Genetic Deterioration over Nine Generations of Cloned Gingerbread Men“, by Ken Ralphs, appears in the special Cloning & Evolution issue of the Annals of Improbable Research. (The article is also online.) It begins: This preliminary study of the long term generational effects of cloning was carried out on gingerbread men for two important reasons. First and […]
Evolution of Complexes from LEGO™ Bricks in a Washing Machine
“Evolution of Complexes from LEGO™ Bricks in a Washing Machine“, by Ingo Althöfer, appears in the special Cloning & Evolution issue of the Annals of Improbable Research. (The article is also online.) It begins: Disclaimers: This work has not been supported by the LEGO Group or any other brick toy company This work has not been sponsored […]