Science & the Big Questions

Book Review: The Power of Chance in Shaping Life and Evolution

In A Series of Fortunate Events, Sean B. Carroll examines the profound impact of randomness in determining destiny.

Undark

Topics: Complexity Evolutionary Mechanisms Evolutionary Theory

Skull Fossil Shows How Human Cousin Adapted to Changing Climate

A skull found in a South African cave suggests that the species went through a process of microevolution during a chaotic environmental shift.

The New York Times

Topics: Evolutionary Theory

The Coronavirus in Evolutionary Perspective

Humans evolved social potential to cooperate with others will eventually ignite a collective response to fight COVID-19 around the globe.

The Evolution Institute

Topics: Cooperation Evolutionary Theory Human Evolution

It’s Time to Fix Evolution’s Public Relations Problem

Evolution denial is rooted in deeply held misconceptions and current practices in evolution education are not adequate to address the problem.

The Evolution Institute

Topics: Cooperation Education Evolutionary Theory

What Is an Individual? Biology Seeks Clues in Information Theory

To recognize strange extraterrestrial life and solve biological mysteries on this planet, scientists are searching for an objective definition for life’s basic units.

Quanta Magazine

Topics: Evolutionary Theory Extraterrestrial Life Information Origin of Life

Fossil Worm Shows Us Our Evolutionary Beginnings

A worm-like creature that burrowed on the seafloor more than 500 million years ago may be key to the evolution of much of the animal kingdom.

BBC News

Topics: Evolutionary Theory

What Is Philosophy of Biology?

Watch the interview series.

Closer To Truth

Topics: Consciousness Emergence Evolutionary Theory Origin of Life Wisdom

The Urgency of Agency

Our consciousness gets in the way of thinking about evolution.

Life, Unbounded, Scientific American

Topics: Agency Evolutionary Mechanisms Evolutionary Theory Extraterrestrial Life Origin of Life

The Secret History of Science and Religion: On the Origin of Humans

Nick Spencer examines the history of science and religion and questions the extent to which they have been in conflict with one another.

BBC Radio 4

Topics: Elaine Howard Ecklund Evolutionary Theory Human Uniqueness Models of Science & Religion Science & Religion Dialogue

Wings May All Be Universal. Smarts, Not So Much

Many astrobiologists believe life gets going easily on Earthlike planets and so will be widespread in the universe. It is then possible that some of those planets might have evolved intelligent beings.

Cosmos

Topics: Epigenetics Evolutionary Theory Extraterrestrial Life Intelligence

Gifted Education, Hope, Male Incompetence, and Contextual Evolution

The Psychology Podcast recap for May 2019.

Beautiful Minds, Scientific American

Topics: Education Evolutionary Theory Hope

Edward O. Wilson on the Evolution of Social Behaviors

Here, he explains the relevance of evolved insect behaviors to human nature.

Quanta Magazine

Topics: Altruism Animal Studies Cooperation Evolutionary Mechanisms Evolutionary Theory Social Behavior

In Ecology Studies and Selfless Ants, He Finds Hope for the Future

For more than six decades, the influential biologist Edward O. Wilson has drawn connections between evolution, ecology, and behavior, often sparking controversies inside and outside of science.

Quanta Magazine

Topics: Altruism Animal Studies Cooperation Evolutionary Mechanisms Evolutionary Theory Social Behavior

How Evolutionary Theory Guides Policy

A review of David Sloan Wilson’s new book, This View of Life: Completing the Darwinian Revolution.

Nature

Topics: Cultural Evolution David Sloan Wilson Evolutionary Mechanisms Evolutionary Theory

How Highly Religious Americans View Evolution Depends on How They’re Asked About It

The shares of white evangelical Protestants and black Protestants who say humans have evolved depend on how the question is asked.

Pew Research Center

Topics: Evolutionary Theory Religious Groups

How Beauty Is Making Scientists Rethink Evolution

The extravagant splendor of the animal kingdom can’t be explained by natural selection alone — so how did it come to be?

The New York Times Magazine

Topics: Animal Studies Beauty Evolutionary Mechanisms Evolutionary Theory Nature

Proof of Life: How Would We Recognize an Alien If We Saw One?

What exactly is it that astrobiologists are looking for? How will we know when it’s time to pop the champagne?

Aeon

Topics: Evolutionary Mechanisms Evolutionary Theory Extraterrestrial Life

Evolutionary Math and Just-So Stories

Evolutionary stories like the grandmother hypothesis are easy to construct from mathematical models, but how well do they reflect reality?

Quanta Magazine

Topics: Evolutionary Mechanisms Evolutionary Theory

Mathematics Shows How to Ensure Evolution

New results emerging from graph theory prove that the way a population is organized can guarantee the eventual triumph of natural selection — or permanently thwart it.

Quanta Magazine

Topics: Evolutionary Mechanisms Evolutionary Theory Martin Nowak

Why Social Science Needs Evolutionary Theory

The lack of willingness to view human cognition and behavior as within the purview of evolutionary processes has prevented evolution from being fully integrated into the social science curriculum.

Nautilus

Topics: Cognition Cristine Legare Cultural Evolution Evolutionary Theory Social Behavior Social Learning

Humans Evolved But Are Still Special

Steve Mirsky spoke to Ken Miller, a professor of biology at Brown University and the author, most recently, of The Human Instinct.

Science Talk, Scientific American

Topics: Consciousness Evolutionary Theory Human Uniqueness