Biology in the News Explained

Torn: The “Conflict of Modern Motherhood” is all about guilt

A review of the book “Torn: True Stories of Kids, Career & the Conflict of Modern Motherhood”, edited by Samantha Parent Walravens (May, 2011).

TORN: True Stories from Amazing Women

Video trailer for upcoming book "Torn: True Stories of Kids, Career, and the Conflict of Modern Motherhood", edited by Samantha Parent Walravrens

When will sociologists learn some sociobiology?

Why would any biological scientist possibly be surprised that a one-year-old baby understands some of the rules governing society?

Carnival round-up

Carnivals on education, politics, opinions, and science are all out, with some posts by Bioblog.

Sociobiology shows us why racial integration is so hard, and so important

We need to keep making an effort to interact with people not like us, because if we do not, our social brains easily fall into the trap of demonizing them. School integration is still an obvious way to do this.

Order, design, tension, balance, and harmony

On art, "Sunday in the Park with George" and being human.

Why fear mongering is so successful

There's a reason fear-mongering works as a political strategy: the irrational part of our brain is much easier for other people to manipulate than the rational part.

Breasts and Society

We live in a society completely obsessed with gender roles, while pretending not to be. This obvious contradiction is turning some innocent kids into collateral damage.

Does mastectomy equal selfectomy?

Why are we maintaining the assumption that women must continue to be defined by their physical characteristics? NIH inexplicably feels it's important to keep as many breasts around as possible, refusing to acknowledge that the maintenance of breasts can be an unnecessary burden for breast cancer survivors.

Economics and the environment, part 2

The "tragedy of the commons" argument assumes rational behavior on the part of humans, who have made it infinitely clear that the assumption is false. A free market (let alone government subsidies) will never result in a protected environment, no matter how privately owned it is.

Heterosexual marriage should not be legal

There are legal reasons to get married, and there are private reasons. Why can't we just keep them separate?

Politics and Biology, Part 2

Are political orientations genetic?