Evolution
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The Algernon Argument: Not just about intelligence
If there were an intervention that would result in enhanced intelligence, why have we not already evolved that way? The answer is the Algernon argument.…
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Great Argus: Sexual selection of an optical illusion
Charles Darwin included an illustration of the feathers of the great argus pheasant in The Descent of Man. The pattern on great argus feathers seem…
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Selective Breeding for Longevity: A long-term experiment on the genetics of lifespan
In his science fiction novel Methuselah’s Children, Robert Heinlein described a clan whose members become unusually old without showing signs of frailty. Later in the…
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Personality Transplants: Memories outside of the brain?
A spooky phenomenon: People who receive heart transplants sometimes change in a way that makes them resemble the donor. In some cases, they seem to…
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Life on Mars: AH 84100 makes me skeptical about more recent “potential biosignatures”
In 1996, Bill Clinton announced that we had found signs pointing to life on Mars. A meteorite called Allan Hills 84001, originating from Mars, contained…
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Terminal Lucidity: Recovery from Alzheimer’s shortly before dying
People experiencing terminal lucidity have typically suffered from dementia for a long time. Often they are gone so far they can’t talk or recognize their…
Nehaveigur 