Comb jellies such as Mnemiopsis leidyi have a through-gut, challenging when this evolutionary innovation arose. Photo by William E. Browne, Science Magazine Don’t minimize the importance of poop (shit to be more explicit), and don’t mistakenly think that calling someone an asshole is necessarily an insult anymore. And, once again, you can thank a variety [...]
Ricardo, the protagonist in my novel Jellyfish Have Eyes speculated that jellyfish are smarter than we think, that they have a brain of sorts, and that they interact in jellyfish lingo that we don’t understand - gibberish talk. Jellyfish may be a bit extreme, but I think Ricardo makes his point: don’t be too sure that [...]
Here I blend evolution with Inuit art and shamans, unlikely cousins. Inuit sculptures hooked me the first time I saw them. Inuit artists live in the Arctic of central and east Canada. Although Inuit art is a known form of ethnic art, few appreciate its beauty, originality and significance. I happened upon it 25 years [...]
Wednesday evening I went to hear Jeffrey Goldberg speak about his much-publicized article, “The Obama Doctrine,” published in the April issue of The Atlantic. The historic Sixth and I synagogue in Washington was filled to capacity. James Bennet, editor of the magazine, questioned Goldberg about his extensive interviews of President Obama. Goldberg explained that his objective was [...]
