Do you buy organic food? If you do, it’s likely that you’re spending substantially more money on your eats… so, what is it that you’re paying for? Much has been written about organic foods, and that volume of verbiage appears to be inversely proportional to the general public’s understanding of what the heck “organic” even … Continue reading “Organic” does NOT mean “Healthy.”
Which is more important: the survival of a species, or the habitat in which it lives? It’s a silly question, really – if you want a species to persist (and you should), it clearly needs somewhere to live. You might be able to raise it in captivity, I suppose, but that’s a temporary solution that’s … Continue reading The US Endangered Species Act.
There’s a bewildering array of life of this planet. Scientists are working hard at naming and classifying this diversity, and they are likely many hundreds of years away from even being CLOSE to finishing a rough draft. But where did all of this diversity come from in the first place? Where do new species come … Continue reading Where do new species come from?
Biologists will likely never agree on a definitive answer to the question, “What is a species?” For billions of years life has traveled a winding path as it evolved into the diversity we see today, and labeling a group of organisms as completely distinct from another group of organisms is often far from straightforward. So … Continue reading More Diversity is Better.
What is a species? It’s a simple enough question. How complicated could the answer be? Pretty darn complicated, as it turns out. Defining the term “species” goes beyond just giving a bunch of similar critters a collective name: it’s about deciding what is “same” and what is “different” in the natural world. And oftentimes those … Continue reading What is a species?
So what is evolution, anyway? I find that most non-scientists I talk to really have absolutely idea what evolution is. That’s not to say they don’t THINK they know what evolution is… they’re just completely wrong. This really is a shame. Evolutionary biology is one of the most important foundations of our understanding the natural … Continue reading What is Evolution?
Has anyone ever asked you the question, “Do you believe in evolution?” It sounds like a simple enough question, right? In reality, however, it’s a plea for help. What they’re really saying is, “I have no idea what evolution is, and I don’t know anything about science. Can you help me?” Let’s start with the … Continue reading Do you Believe in Evolution?
Think back to the last time you read an article that asserted something was “scientifically proven.” It probably wasn’t that long ago if you read the news or browse the internet regularly. Did you know that the author was full of crap? In science, NOTHING is EVER proven. Period. At this point, you may be … Continue reading Scientifically Proven!
Every now and then a scientific term wanders out into the wilderness of the vernacular. Once such a term winds up in general usage, it accumulates alternate meanings like a shoe accumulate chewing gum on a hot summer day. Last week I wrote about how technical terms provide one with descriptive power and precise meaning. … Continue reading Hypotheses and theories and laws. Oh my!
I love learning new languages. Now I’m not implying that I’m one of those polyglot prodigies with a dozen languages under my belt; indeed, I wouldn’t say that I’m fluent in any language other than English. I do, however, find that learning even a small amount of a new language can be extremely rewarding. Foreign … Continue reading The Language of Science
