Still mating at the age of 176
This is one impressive tortoise. Check out his pose during the Boer War around 1900. Fun story.
Human culture as forceful agent of human evolution
Learn about the effects of human culture on human evolution in this article at Seed Magazine. Yes, it appears to be a two-way street; biological evolution affects human culture and human culture affects human biological evolution. This article includes a detailed analysis of an oft-cited example: the spread of genes…
Why are humans so repulsed by the idea that they are animals?
Why are humans so repulsed by the idea that they are animals? Perhaps "Terror Management Theory" can shine some light on this important issue. When I started this blog in 2006, one idea that motivated me was that human beings simply can't deal with the idea that they are animals.…
Manger scenes from around the world show that humans create God in their own image and likeness
People create their Gods in their own image and likeness. This is not an argument that God does or does not exist. It's merely an observation that what people claim to know about God is always a projection. This thought that God is a projection occurred to me when looking…
What it’s like to not shop for a year.
Judith Levine and her significant other decided to not shop for a year. She wrote about her trials and tribulations in her book, Not buying It: My Year Without Shopping. She also wrote about it in Washington Post in an article titled, "Don't Buy It." Here's an excerpt: People can…