by
David Tribe on 7 February 2012
The biological study of human behaviour can teach us a lot about ourselves, and Robert Trivers has just written a book Deceit and Self-Deception: Fooling Yourself the Better to Fool Others (Allen Lane, Penguin Books 2011) from which we can all learn deep insights about ourselves and our fellow humans.
Yes fellow humans, some of us — including even myself –can be very difficult and tricky to deal with.
The first chapter of Robert Trivers’ book gives an overview of the evolutionary logic of human self-deception. It picks out nine categories of self-deception, but three in particular caught my mind:
- The Derogation of Others Is Closely Linked
- Moral Superiority
- The Construction of Biased Social Theory
by
Matt DiLeo on 6 February 2012
Pioneer and K State are jointly releasing a set of new herbicide resistant sorghum varieties, which will incorporate resistance to ALS and FOP herbicides. Ironically, these non-genetically modified varieties invoke one of the classic bogeymen of anti-GM thinkers – herbicide resistant weeds.
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by
Matt DiLeo on 5 February 2012
JetBlue airlines now gives out blue potato chips as their “official” snack.
I’m very impressed by the fact that these blue potato chips exist. It’s no small feat to create a good-frying potato with excellent agronomic qualities in itself. I can’t imagine crossing in blue coloring (anthocyanin expression) on top of this in a reasonable amount of time – especially since potatoes aren’t true to seed. Non true to seed crops like potatoes
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by
Pamela Ronald on 3 January 2012
From Tomorrow’s Table
This excellent New York Times article describes Eric Lander’s journey in science to his position today as not only one of the great genome researchers but a terrific teacher and human being.
This post was syndicated from Tomorrow’s Table You may comment on the original entry.
by
Pamela Ronald on 31 December 2011
From Tomorrow's Table
In Memoriam,
by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
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This post was syndicated from Tomorrow's Table You may comment on the original entry.
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