Human Behaviour
Genetically modified: yoghurt and the beginning of CRISPR
Human genetic modification has the very real potential to revolutionize our lives, and it all started with bacteria.
ReadStigmergy and The Soul of the Ant
When I was a kid, one of the books I read that stimulated my sense of awe and wonder in nature was “Die Siel van die Mier”, which in…
ReadDetecting minds where there are none
You’re sitting in your bedroom and hear three sharp raps at your window. Rat tat tat. Ten seconds later, you hear it again. Rat tat tat…
ReadEssentialism: Basing decisions on beliefs
“The pleasure we get from all sorts of everyday objects is related to our beliefs about their histories.” — that’s a line from Paul Bloom’s…
ReadWhat’s commonplace is unthinkingly right
Some parts of daily life seem so natural, benign, and commonplace that we don’t consider them to be as awful as they really are. Perhaps we…
ReadSignalling Theory, the Handicap Principle and Conspicuous Consumption
Gazelles, when pursued by a lion, sometimes stot or pronk — they jump straight up on all four legs — instead of running away…
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