Celibacy: Its surprising evolutionary advantages
Why would someone join an institution that removed the option of family life and required them to be celibate? Reproduction, after all, is at the very heart of the evolution that shaped us. Yet many religious institutions around the world require exa.....»»
Study reveals biodiversity engine for fishes: Shifting water depth
Fish, the most biodiverse vertebrates in the animal kingdom, present evolutionary biologists a conundrum: The greatest species richness is found in the world's tropical waters, yet the fish groups that generate new species most rapidly inhabit colder.....»»
Psychopaths: why they"ve thrived through evolutionary history—and how that may change
When you start to notice them, psychopaths seem to be everywhere. This is especially true of people in powerful places. By one estimate, as many as 20% of business leaders have "clinically relevant levels" of psychopathic tendencies—despite the fac.....»»
How to reset the screen on your Tesla
Tesla cars offer a number of advantages, but perhaps the biggest is the great software. But that software can fail. Here's how to reset the screen on a Tesla......»»
The environmental benefits of a food-sharing economy are highly dependent on how the money saved is then used
Does the digital sharing economy really reduce harm to the environment? In a recent study, researchers found that food sharing has significant environmental advantages, but that a substantial part of the benefits of online sharing platforms are offse.....»»
Harnessing an innate protection against Ebola
In their evolutionary battle for survival, viruses have developed strategies to spark and perpetuate infection. Once inside a host cell, the Ebola virus, for example, hijacks molecular pathways to replicate itself and eventually make its way back out.....»»
The latest product from former Apple design chief Jony Ive is a red nose
When former Apple design chief Jony Ive left the Cupertino company to set up his own design agency, the big question was what he would choose to create when he was free to accept commissions in any field. Some of the answers have proven surprising,.....»»
Ancient fossils shed new light on evolution of sea worm
Ancient fossils have shed new light on a type of sea worm linking it to the time of an evolutionary explosion that gave rise to modern animal life......»»
Genetic engineering sheds light on ancient evolutionary questions
Cyanobacteria are single-celled organisms that derive energy from light, using photosynthesis to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and liquid water (H2O) into breathable oxygen and the carbon-based molecules like proteins that make up their ce.....»»
Evolutionary trade-offs: Balancing genetic disease risks and pathogen protection
Certain genes can exist in different, functionally divergent variants in the individuals of a species. If they lead to clear differences, for example in a phenotype or susceptibility to disease, this is known in biology as a polymorphism. Typical exa.....»»
Investigations reveal more evidence that Mimas is a stealth ocean world
When a Southwest Research Institute scientist discovered surprising evidence that Saturn's smallest, innermost moon could generate the right amount of heat to support a liquid internal ocean, colleagues began studying Mimas' surface to understand how.....»»
Genetic diversity of the Saimaa ringed seal decreased in the 20th century as a result of human actions: Study
A new study confounds conceptions about the origins of the Saimaa ringed seal. In addition, scientists have observed that the genetic diversity of the Saimaa ringed seal decreased in the 20th century as a result of human actions. The evolutionary his.....»»
HBO’s The Last of Us tries a little tenderness in a surprising episode 3
Kyle and Andrew fall in love with Nick Offerman's Bill and his dystopian love story. Enlarge / Paranoid survivalist is the part Nick Offerman was born to play. New episodes of The Last of Us are premiering on HBO every.....»»
Large mammals shaped the evolution of humans in Africa, says ecologist
That humans originated in Africa is widely accepted. But it's not generally recognized how unique features of Africa's ecology were responsible for the crucial evolutionary transitions from forest-inhabiting fruit-eater to savanna-dwelling hunter. Th.....»»
Scientists discover evolutionary secret behind different animal life cycles
For more than 100 years, biologists have wondered why animals display different types of life cycles. Some species, like humans and most vertebrates, develop directly into a fully formed yet smaller version of an adult. In contrast, many other animal.....»»
Scientists use cavefish to learn more about metabolism and the evolutionary basis of being a couch potato
Stay-at-home orders issued at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic ushered the hoarding of food and surges in digital entertainment subscriptions, restaurant take-out and delivery services—a perfect storm for a collective couch potato phenomenon. Now.....»»
Family tree of major snake group rewritten and new branch of snakes found
An international team has been able to reconstruct the evolutionary tree of a major group of snakes, Elapoidea, that has proved to be a significant step towards the construction of a complete Tree of Life for snakes......»»
Split-second of evolutionary cellular change could have led to mammals, suggests new hypothesis
A newly-published hypothesis, led by a UCL researcher, suggests a momentary leap in a single species on a single day millions of years ago might ultimately have led to the arrival of mammals—and therefore humans......»»
Mac mini M2 packs a performance punch for under $600
The just-released Mac mini looks unexciting from the exterior with its years-old design — but don't let that fool you. This unassuming Mac is a steal with surprising performance.The new Mac mini comes with an M2 or M2 Pro processorIt's hard to comp.....»»
Squirrels that gamble win big when it comes to evolutionary fitness
Imagine overhearing the Powerball lottery winning numbers, but you didn't know when those numbers would be called—just that at some point in the next 10 years or so, they would be. Despite the financial cost of playing those numbers daily for that.....»»
Discovery of anti-cancer chemistry makes skullcap plant fit for modern medicine
The evolutionary secrets that enable the medicinal herb known as barbed skullcap to produce cancer fighting compounds have been unlocked by a collaboration of UK and Chinese researchers......»»