Biology in the News Explained

Politics and Biology, Part 1

Are political affiliations caused by differences in how a brain works?

How could those fat friends of mine do this to me?!

Does hanging out with people fatter than you cause you to become more fat?

Are transgenders a product of rigid societal norms?

Contrary to what most people seem to think, rigidly defined gender roles are the most likely reason for people to consider themselves "transgender."

Mathematics, rules, and sociality

Human brains are pre-adapted to do mathematics, and to make rules that apply to everything we do—but only because we happen to be a social species.

The “opt out” myth

It's not really "opting out" when work sucks, especially when it's due to sexism.

Altruism is just another way to be selfish

Download article as PDF A recent article about research supporting a neurological (= biological) basis for altruism panders to the alarmist view that behavior with an identifiable biological basis precludes personal responsibility, and could throw our criminal justice system into an uproar. The first...

Morality is not a human construct

Morality is not all about humans; it exists in any social species.

Atheism: The Next Evolutionary Step

What does religion tell us about evolution?

The flowers are down in flames

Online flame wars are an emergent property when human brains meet technology.

The ants go marching

Humans and ants have something important in common: we live in societies, and that affects everything we do.