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Evolutionary Biology
Dinosaurs and other beasts were once thought to be the “undisputed masters” of Venus.
Are breakthroughs really a matter of chance, or are they simply waiting to be uncovered by the right person at the right time?
New evidence suggests the corvid family has surprising mental abilities.
Some biologists believe natural selection produces animals that are just good enough. Dawkins disagrees.
3mins
How do scientists measure and define life in the natural world? Dr. Lee Cronin gives us a definition, in 4 minutes:
In "Life As No One Knows It," Sara Imari Walker explains why the key distinction between life and other kinds of "things" is how life uses information.
"What modern science has taught us is that life is not a property of matter."
Life arose on Earth early on, eventually giving rise to us: intelligent and technologically advanced. "First contact" still remains elusive.
3mins
Don’t fall into the determinism trap. Everything is, in fact, random, says chemist Lee Cronin:
In the 1970s, James Lovelock proposed that the biosphere was not just green scruff quivering on Earth's surface. Instead, it managed to take over the geospheres.
7mins
“The physics of the universe doesn't predict the emergence of biology.” Glasgow chemist Lee Cronin explains how inanimate matter becomes evolutionary:
24mins
“It’s remarkable how weak the correlation between success and intelligence is.” Here’s what skills do matter, from 3 business experts.
Cats twist and snakes slide, exploiting and negotiating physical laws. Scientists are figuring out how.
2mins
“We wouldn’t be able to talk about minerals if it weren’t for the minerals themselves.” Mineralogist Bob Hazen explains how Earth’s rocks can teach us about our planet’s technicolor history.
The true story of the shot that "reverberated through England" when science collided head-on with religion.
3mins
The mind-blowing theory that everything is evolving—from minerals to music—explained in 3 minutes by a Carnegie scientist.
Physicists have increasingly begun to view life as information-processing "states of matter" that require special consideration.
10mins
“We control nothing but influence everything.” Political scientist Brian Klaas on how every decision we make - both massive and miniscule - shapes our futures.
7mins
“We could be wrong. But if we are right, it’s profoundly important.” Leading mineralogist Dr. Robert Hazen on the missing law of nature that could explain why life emerges.
John Templeton Foundation
Is there a force keeping humanity in check?
Scientists still aren't sure how they perform without those restorative Z's.
Are fava beans and chianti really the best pairing for human liver?
An excerpt from renowned neuropsychologist Nicholas Humphrey’s book “Sentience: The Invention of Consciousness.”
The future belongs to complexity.
SARS-CoV-2 first emerged in humans in 2019. Despite much noise generated by lab leak proponents, the evidence indicates a natural origin.
The number of planets that could support life may be far greater than previously thought, a recent discovery suggests.
3mins
Journalist Steven Kotler on digital immortality and the tech that could keep us “alive,” forever.
11mins
Humanity has two giant collisions to thank for its existence, explains biologist Sean B. Carroll.
6mins
Physicist Sean Carroll on entropy, complexity, and the origins of life:
A poignant, 2,000-year-old burial in northern Italy could be the latest evidence of an ancient friendship.