I did go back through the stack of papers after all (at least part of it).

Loss of Oestrus and Concealed Ovulation in Human Evolution (pdf file) -- this is pretty fascinating, particularly in relation to my post a week or so ago (actually, I found the article when I was looking for more info in relation to those questions). I haven't finished it ( Read more... )

Some things I've read recently that I thought were worth sharing. No brainpower for commentary at the moment:

Fascinating new developments in the interactions between bodies and non-ionizing radiation (this'd be of the "good news and bad news" variety -- interesting ramifications for treatments, but also a whole renewed need to research into the ( Read more... )

Please assume everything in this post is predicated with "iirc" -- this is late-night theorizing based on an assortment of half-remembered information. Corrections in comments are perfectly welcome, as are contradictory ideas ( Read more... )

I finally, belatedly, got a chance to watch the democratic debate from Howard University. I have to say I found it more interesting than any they've had yet. I thought several of the candidates made major goofs that they were totally unaware of, though -- seemed like several of them made it very obvious that there are huge aspects of racism in ( Read more... )

Sometimes I'm reminded of how much of my biogeek stuff is sex-specific, because although I've been following the HPV vaccine since the very beginning, this one took me totally flat-footed (thanks to jajy1979 for the link):

FDA advisers OK prostate cancer vaccine

WASHINGTON - Federal health advisers have endorsed an experimental vaccine to treat advanced ( Read more... )

How the body becomes asymmetric

Re­search­ers say they’ve learn­ed a sur­pris­ing fact about cell di­vi­sion that might help ex­plain how we be­come asym­met­ric-with the heart on the left, and two dif­fer­ent brain halves, for in­stance.(World Science is handy for brief little "teaser" articles about a wide range of science, although ( Read more... )

Photic sneeze reflex -- I hadn't realized everyone didn't sneeze in response to bright light. (yes, that would make me someone who does)

And while thinking about random genetic traits, I went looking for something about tongue-rolling. I can triple-roll my tongue, as can my dad (if you scroll about 3/4 of the way down this page, you'll see an ( Read more... )

This reminded me a bit of the article I posted about the other day regarding the speed with which relatively questionable science that reinforces current stereotypes gets adopted and disseminated.

Anthropologists who suggest early humans survived by dint of separate gender roles are grabbing headlines. Caryl Rivers says it shows the media's ( Read more... )

I'm so certain my Mom would've gotten me one. Mom was a nurse in labor and delivery, and is largely responsible for me having gotten the most comprehensive sex ed of any kid I knew -- she has her limitations (a notable germ-phobia, and little familiarity outside heterosexual married monogamy), but it was still a damned good body-positive and sex- ( Read more... )

This is amazing:

The Antikythera mechanism has been discovered to be a mechanical computer of an accuracy thought impossible in 80 BC, when the ship that carried it sunk. Such sophisticated technology was not thought to be developed by humanity for another 1,000 years. Its wheels and gears create a portable orrery of the sky that predicted star ( Read more... )