The people who falsely claim authoritative knowledge are being called out, loudly in public. About goddamn time. “We evolutionary biologists (@SwipeWright , @Evolutionistrue , @FondOfBeetles and others) are fascinated by the immense diversity in body and behavior of male and female organisms. We also understand that mammals come
Continue readingTag: biology
Dead Wild Roses: On Liberal Misogyny
http://vodka-and-daydreams.tumblr.com/post/170982809272/spencer-shayy-hobo-logical-girlgastly-my
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Ruth Hubbard – The Political Nature of Human ‘Nature’
Clearing up some of the confusion about socialization and being ‘born that way’, Ruth Hubbard in this excerpt tackles the nature/nurture question head on. Read the whole article here. “We can visualize this kind of interaction or transformation by thinking about the interplay between biological and cultural factors that affects the ways boys and girls grow up […]
Things Are Good: Stop Worrying About Being Clean, Just be
We are obsessed with cleanliness in he developed world and it is likely killing us. The over use of cleaners in the built environment and the use of biochemical cleansers (like antibiotics) are weakening out immune system. They may also be negatively impacting our mental health as well. So relax with all that germaphobic behaviour. […]
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Continue readingDead Wild Roses: One Woman’s Examination of Trans-Racial versus Trans-Gendered
Hmmm. This is a delicate topic, but one worth investigating. For context, the people being referred to in the video are Bruce Jenner and Rachel Dolezal. Filed under: Feminism Tagged: Biology, Social Constructs, Transgender, Transracial
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Trauma, Stress, Addiction – Gabor Maté
Reading Mate’s book called In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts. I’ve been unable to put this book down as his research and insight into addictions and associated behaviours dovetails snugly with the clientele I work with most days. Here is a brief excerpt from the chapter titled Trauma, Stress and
Continue readingreeves report: New ‘Tipping Point’ Model Could Help Predict Species Extinction
Species may be more adaptive to environmental changes than we thought, but small shifts can still be enough to cause extinctions. Snowshoe hares are facing increasing challenges as snow patterns shift dramatically as a result of climate change. ENVIRONMENTAL “TIPPING POINTS” can provide researchers with valuable clues to detect when species
Continue readingScripturient: Blog & Commentary: Crazy Cats and Brain Parasites
It reads like a script for a scary movie: an alien parasite invading our brains, taking control of our minds, changing our behaviour silently, secretly; making us do what it wants. And it’s happening now, in homes across Canada and the USA. Alien puppet masters over-running the nation, one household
Continue readingScripturient: Blog & Commentary: Gut instincts
A story on Science Daily says research suggests our so-called “free will” may be less free than we ever imagined. We may, instead, be meat puppets ruled by the desires and cravings of the smallest symbiotes we carry: our gut bacteria. The story opens: It sounds like science fiction, but
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Does BC’s Neglect of Poverty Constitute a Eugenics Plan?
There has been a great deal of talk in recent decades about the cycle of poverty, how it’s a vicious circle that children have difficulty getting out of. Human chromosomes with telomeres stained fluorescent red. Copyright Nakamura et al. It makes sense. If parents are short on economic resources, have
Continue readingThings Are Good: In Plant Photosynthesis, Scientists See Clues for Improving Solar Energy Cells
Solar cells optimized to suit local light conditions, or made more efficient by using a broader part of the solar spectrum, are among the imaginative applications foreseen from ground-breaking new insights into plant photosynthesis pioneered in Canada. Indeed new, more fully detailed knowledge of how plants and other living organisms
Continue readingMolly'sBlog: Molly’sBlog 2013-11-17 21:46:00
EVIDENCE ON THE EVOLUTION OF SNAKES Snakes belong to the suborder Serpentes in the order Squamata (the scaled reptiles). There has been a considerable controversy over their evolutionary origin. The two basic theories are 1)they…
Continue readingMolly'sBlog: Molly’sBlog 2013-11-17 21:46:00
EVIDENCE ON THE EVOLUTION OF SNAKES Snakes belong to the suborder Serpentes in the order Squamata (the scaled reptiles). There has been a considerable controversy over their evolutionary origin. The two basic theories are 1)they evolved from terrestrial burrowing reptiles and 2)that they evolved from aquatic reptiles and are closely
Continue readingMolly'sBlog: Molly’sBlog 2013-11-17 20:46:00
EVIDENCE ON THE EVOLUTION OF SNAKES Snakes belong to the suborder Serpentes in the order Squamata (the scaled reptiles). There has been a considerable controversy over their evolutionary origin. The two basic theories are 1)they evolved from terrestrial burrowing reptiles and 2)that they evolved from aquatic reptiles and are closely
Continue readingScripturient: Blog & Commentary: Infestations, Microbes & Parasites
Staphylococci, Corynebacteria, Actinobacteria, Clostridiales, and Bacilli. They’re the most common, but they’re not the only ones. Bacteria. Microbes. Yes, even parasites. Living in your belly button. And on your skin. Your hair. But the belly button flora and fauna fascinate me the most.* We’ve known ever since the microscope was invented
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: New studies show generosity and cooperation are both natural and intelligent
A new study shows a mathematical proof that generosity leads to evolutionary success. Biologists offer a mathematically based explanation for why cooperation and generosity have evolved in nature [Credit: Web] “Ever since Darwin,” Plotkin said, “biologists have been puzzled about why there is so much apparent cooperation, and even flat-out generosity
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Love, sympathy and mutual aid are natural – we have to be taught to be greedy little narcissists
During a California wildfire rescue workers ran out of crates to place rescued animals, forcing them to put a fawn and a bobcat kitten in an office together. When they got back they found that fawn and the bobcat cuddling and the pair became inseparable. Yes, compassion,
Continue readingEclectic Lip: Paging Dr. Freud…
Logged on to desktop-Facebook recently. Was greeted by these ads. They were… disturbing. I don’t even want to know what photos they used for the female or gay audience! Perhaps this is some sort of bizarre homage to Renaissance painter Guiseppe Arcimbolo, colloquially known as “that crazy artist who painted
Continue readingEclectic Lip: Software updates are flu shots
A nice metaphor for software updates. Flu shots attempt to immunize people from the influenza virus, by exposing their immune systems to small doses of weakened or dead virus molecules. The idea is that this gives the immune system a “practise run” with a less-dangerous version of the influenza virus
Continue readingEclectic Lip: The surveillance state is an autoimmune disorder
Autoimmune disorders (Wikipedia prefers autoimmune diseases) occur when the body’s defenses — antibodies — no longer distinguish between healthy tissue and harmful cells. Instead of focusing on the dangerous antigens, they attack the body itself. Type 1 diabetes is an example, where the patient’s immune system attacks the insulin-producing regions
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