My first Social Security check arrived this week, a bittersweet milestone. On the one hand, it means a modest release from the pressure of making a living; more time to smell the roses, so to speak. On the other hand, the check will be a monthly reminder of…
Biology
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Photo by Stephen Andrews on Unsplash
Instinctive speech diminishes us not
Is language something we are born with, or is it something we learn in the first few years of life?
Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash
A necessary evil, a quest for good
In recent days Americans have confronted the problem of evil as never before in our history. Succinctly, the problem can be stated like this: in a universe controlled by an all-powerful, loving god, why do bad things happen to innocent people?
A tardigrade • Image by Schokraie E, Warnken U, Hotz-Wagenblatt A, Grohme MA, Hengherr S, et al. (CC BY 2.5)
A little reminder of reality’s scale
I have a biologist colleague who knows what a fellow likes. As a retirement gift, she gave me a bottle containing a few ounces of water, some algae, assorted microscopic organisms, and — wonder of wonders! — a few tardigrades.
Photo by Дмитрий Хрусталев-Григорьев on Unsplash
Book provides the missing sense
Diane Ackerman begins her “A Natural History of the Senses” with this bold assertion: “Nothing is more memorable than a smell.”
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Book celebrates the tree of life
Like all kids, my 18-month-old grandchild, Kate, is a fine taxonomist (one who classifies organisms into categories that reflect natural relationships).
The shell of a Queen conch • Photo by cheesy42 (CC BY 2.0)
Our cousins in name and life
Have you ever seen a pair of Queen Conchs making love? Neither have I.
Photo by José León on Unsplash
Cloning and the human self
I started writing this column on cloning six months ago, then put it aside.
Photo by Elia Pellegrini on Unsplash
Glory, mystery of the genome
The sequencing of the human genome is an epic milestone in human intellectual history. You will hear it compared to the building of the atomic bomb, or putting a man on the moon. It is more, much more.
Photo by Marisa Barrett on Unsplash
Love as defined by genetic script
This week, Science Musings offers Valentine’s Day advice to the lovelorn.