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more about #biology more comments → Anekanta - Go Play!: I'm still skeptical about how well fruitfly mating habits scale to human mating habits; especially in how "fitness" is defined. Are we talking physi... more » Faustic_Caust: @tetracycloide: "we select for extraordinary not fitness"& @Roklimber: "As I understand, one of the most important requirements for a gene pool to pro... more » Plague: Well, at least the skeleton isn't photoshopped. more » Agent355: "fruitfly sperm is toxic." Immediately made me think of a fruitfly Brintey Spears... "With a taste of your proboscis I'm on a ride You're toxic I'... more » ReiRei0: So... this has to do with science fiction... how, exactly? more » tipsymongoose: "the mating process is itself damaging to the health of the females - fruitfly sperm is toxic." I so could have gone through my whole life without ev... more » blackoak: Doesn't this argument (maintaining mediocrity) work only by presuming that we all have the same tastes/look for the exact same attributes in a mate? ... more » BullfightsOnAcid: "Baby, you are so hot. You are fecund to none." more » Dash_Stryker: that's why skinny girls stop menstrating! more » drclaytonforrester: This depresses me, as I keep wanting to go after the prettiest girl in town. And so do a lot of guys. What do we do, all band together and say, 'slo... more » MissBurlesque: uhh that "girl" is Lady Gaga.. just so you all know more » simonbarsinister: "I was doing really well with this beauty. She was STACKED... looked really fecund if you know what I mean. But my mates kept cock-blocking me. They w... more » ManchuCandidate: I'm too sexy for my genes too sexy for my genes Evolution's going to kill me I'm a hot female you know what I mean And I shake my big abs on the flys... more » tetracycloide: the cover picture completely misses the point of the article. models and actresses like the one above are not fit. that girl is way too thin to be m... more » Roklimber: "As a result, the most-desired females become far less capable of generating healthy offspring. And the smaller, less fit females wind up bearing as m... more » -
#evolution
The Evolutionary Cost of Being Extremely Sexy
It's a classic tale of how mediocrity is maintained. Evolutionary biologists in California have discovered that when males shower attractive females with attention, it actually undermines those females' fitness as mothers. That means fit females don't pass their genes on.
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#galacticbugs
The First Space Butterfly Takes a Test Flight
Yesterday a Painted Lady butterfly emerged from its chrysalis and flapped its wings - in microgravity on the International Space Station. It was the first butterfly to be born and survive in microgravity. More » -
#stealthispitch
Give Me A Biotech Apocalypse That I Can Believe In
So Hollywood trashed the world in 2012, and scourged it in The Road. But neither apocalypse delivered the sweet tang of satisfaction. That's because what the Earth needs now are life-distorting biotech mutation stories. Here's why.
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#madscience
Paralyzed By Light
Just one beam of ultra-violet light left this nematode worm completely paralyzed. A second beam of visible-spectrum light allowed it to move again. That's right - scientists have created behavioral "light switches," a way to control animals with light. More » -
#monstersamongus
Deadly Worms and Ravenous Sea Stars Engage in a Monster Feeding Frenzy
It's a once in a decade occurrence: a bounty of meat falls to Antarctica's ocean floor, prompting it voracious inhabitants to descend in a frenzy of flesh-skewering sea worms, pulsating sea stars, and giant underwater spiders. More » -
#deepsealife
Beautiful and Terrifying Creatures From The Edge Of Light
Deep in the ocean, beyond where light reaches, thousands of new species are being documented by the Census Of Marine Life. From the tiny and adorable to the nightmarish, all of these creatures from the Cthulian depths are entrancing. More » -
#evolution
Why Aggressive Men Finish Last
Among the tiny insects known as water striders, males who aggressively attempt to mate with females don't wind up with as many offspring as their more gentlemanly counterparts. How can aggressive mating ever be a losing strategy?
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#biology
You Can Learn From One Of Science Fiction's Greatest Biologists Online
Joan Slonczewski is one of the few science-fiction authors who's also a biology professor. She's teaching a Biology In Science Fiction course at Kenyon College, using Tribbles, Dune and Jurassic Park to teach biological principles, and you can join in. More » -
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#evolution
In France, Brown Bears Desperately Need Women
The brown bear population has been declining in parts of France for decades, but now a group of scientists say they have an unorthodox solution. Just bring in more female bears. But not for the reasons you might think. More » -
#evolution
"Dead Zone" Microbes Survive Without Oxygen - And Could Live In Space
Researchers have mapped the genome of a microbe that thrives in oxygen-deprived areas of the ocean known as "dead zones." These creatures are increasing, and their ability to live without oxygen might make them perfect space-dwellers. More » -
#evolution
Scientists Discover the Largest Orbweaving Spider in the World
Yesterday researchers announced the discovery of the largest web-spinning spider in the world. Nephila komaci, which spins meter-wide webs, is 40 mm long. But males of the species (pictured clinging to the underside of the female) are only 9 mm. More » -
#evolution
Chimpanzees Are Altruistic - But Only If You Ask Nicely
Chimps may be one of our closest relatives, but they've shown a remarkably different approach altruism: They'll lend each other a hand, but need to be asked. More » -
#madmicroscopy
The Eye-Popping Moment When Human Life Begins
This dazzling image looks like an orange sun blazing in an alien sky, but it's actually a micrograph of in-vitro fertilization, showing the moment at which the sperm penetrates the egg's membrane. It's just one of many award-winning science images. More » -
#weirdscience
A Genetically-Engineered Cat With Antenna Dishes In Its Ears
This kitten is a rare genetic/cyborg experiment that poses a simple question. What would happen if cats could hear radio waves and receive data via microwave in their ears? More » -
#madmedicine
Handheld Device Electrifies Your Breast Tissue, Diagnoses Cancer Risk
Soon, you could be determining your breast cancer risk with a simple needle jab, to collect a small amount of tissue — which doctors would electrify and subject to weird chemicals, before extracting the estrogen for analysis. More » -
#polarbears
The Bears Of Svalbard Have Started Giving Out Piggyback Rides
In this image, snapped by a tourist in the Svalbard region of Norway, a polar bear cub hitches a ride on its mother's back. Biologists say that this behavior is rarely seen but might be more common than previously thought. More » -
#longevity
A Drug That Can Extend Life as Effectively As Dieting
Many studies have shown that rigorous caloric restriction, or strict dieting, can increase longevity dramatically in lifeforms from yeast to humans. But a study released today shows one way to mimic the life-extending effects of food deprivation - using drugs. More » -
#sperm
The Protein That Makes Sperm Such Speedy Swimmers
In competitive swimming, athletes will slim down and shave themselves to get a speed boost. Scientists have discovered sperm do the same thing, using a molecule that forces the cell to super-compact itself for a swimming advantage. More » -
#ancientorganisms
The Oldest Living Things in the World
Photographer Rachel Sussman travels around the world taking pictures of organisms that have been alive for thousands of years, and will still be around long after we're gone — from venerable bushes to bacteria that's survived over 400,000 years. More » -
#monstersamongus
Giant Gelatinous Fish Found in Brazil
Researchers have found a bizarre fish floating off the coast of Brazil: a creature six feet in length with no scales, little muscle mass, and a largely gelatinous body. More »
