How species change over generations: mutations, genetic drift, natural selection and more.
Most young kids do it. Michael Jordan was famous for it. And it’s quite possible you do it too. What am I talking about? Sticking your tongue out when you concentrate. It’s incredibly common and over the years there have been a variety of theories attempting to explain the habit. Recent research supports the suggestion it’s connected to the way humans evolved spoken language. A quirky tongue? Next time you have the opportunity, watch a […]
When I was a kid I aspired to live to 100 so I could get my letter from the Queen. These days I have a rather different view of the monarchy and more insight into the pivotal role of good health in old age. If you want to talk old age, there are a plenty of other animals and plants with lifespans far more impressive than ours. The question is: why do some living things live so much longer than others?
Is there a smell that has the power to transport you back in time? For me just one whiff of an old-style canvas tent and I’m back camping with my family as a young kid. There are other evocative odours too. The smell of bread dough rising in the sun and a bonfire with damp plane tree leaves…
Most animals do it. You’ve been doing it since before you were even born. And it’s quite likely looking at these photos has made you do it now. Yawning. But why do we yawn and why is yawning so contagious?
You’re probably aware that going to the supermarket when you’re hungry is a bad idea. Research published back in 1969 showed that people tend to buy more food if they hadn’t eaten recently and were hungry. But that’s not the only way hunger affects the choices we make.
Chimpanzees use blades of grass to ‘fish’ for termites, and capuchin monkeys use a hammer and anvil to crack open nuts. A mandrill has even been seen using a stick to get dirt out from under his toenails. We’ve known for a long time that other primates use tools but how about animals that aren’t our close relatives?
As a woman, it pains me to admins this: there’s good evidence that, in tests of spatial awareness, men typically outperform women. Yes, men really do tend be better navigators. But why?
We've all heard of the Venus flytrap, but the plant kingdom contains many more wonderful examples of meat-eating species. Some plants have been known to feed on insects, frogs, and even birds and small mammals. But if plants are so good at getting energy from the sun, why would these eating habits ever have evolved in the first place?
We’ve known for a while that having certain facial features will lead people to judge you as either trustworthy or untrustworthy. And in fact our brains make those complex judgments much faster than we could have ever imagined. Now scientists have worked out how we do it.
The clergymen of Överkalix, Sweden, kept meticulous records of births, deaths, family linages, and crop harvests for generations. Using their data, scientists have discovered that your DNA can depend on your ancestor's gluttonous excesses or frugal famines.
Dr Jen Martin 