Topic: scientific controversy
-
DNA Pioneer James Watson, Co-Discoverer of Double Helix, Dies
James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA's double-helix structure, has died at age 97, leaving behind a legacy as a brilliant yet controversial figure in science. The discovery relied heavily on Rosalind Franklin's X-ray diffraction images, which were shared without her consent, casting an ethical shad...
Read More » -
Kids' Drip Paintings Rival Pollock's, Study Finds
A study found that children's drip paintings visually resemble Jackson Pollock's abstract works more than adults' attempts, linked by a shared lack of refined motor control and analyzed through fractal geometry. Physicist Richard Taylor's initial 2001 claim of fractal patterns in Pollock's art fa...
Read More » -
Million-Year-Old Skull Mystery: Is It a Denisovan?
The Yunxian 2 skull, discovered in China and dated between 600,000 and one million years old, has been digitally reconstructed, revealing features that align more closely with Denisovans or *Homo longi* rather than its initial *Homo erectus* classification. Its reconstruction shows remarkable sim...
Read More » -
Chimps Drink Alcohol Daily, Equivalent to Two Human Drinks
Wild chimpanzees regularly consume fermented fruit, with daily ethanol intake equivalent to a human drinker, supporting the "drunken monkey hypothesis" about evolutionary links to alcohol. Researchers observed chimpanzees selectively sharing fermented fruit in the wild, with nearly all tested sam...
Read More » -
Ancient Hominins Showed Signs of Lead Poisoning 2 Million Years Ago
Evidence of lead poisoning in ancient hominins' teeth dates back nearly two million years, challenging the idea that significant exposure began with recent human industry. Researchers analyzed 51 fossil teeth and found that 71% showed episodic lead exposure during early development, including in ...
Read More » -
Remembering Jane Goodall: Celebrating the Life of a Legendary Primatologist
Dr. Jane Goodall, the pioneering primatologist who transformed our understanding of animal intelligence and human-nature connections, has died at 91 from natural causes. Her groundbreaking research at Gombe Stream National Park revealed chimpanzees using and making tools, challenging the belief t...
Read More »