In theory, a community of altruistic individuals who all work toward a common good should invite cheating, along the lines of, "Why not cut a corner here or there as long as I still get to reap the benefits provided by all?" Over time, as more and more turn to cheating behavior, it is easy to see how the community is doomed. >>Read More

The kind­ness of mankind most likely devel­oped from our more sin­is­ter and self-serving ten­den­cies, accord­ing to Prince­ton Uni­ver­sity and Uni­ver­sity of Ari­zona research that sug­gests society’s rules against self­ish­ness are rooted in the very exploita­tion they condemn. >>Read More

In his book, The Life of the Cosmos, Smolin proposed that Darwinian processes still apply at the extreme macro-scale and to non-biological entities. Because the universe is a potentially replicative unit, he suggests that it's subject to selectional pressures. Consequently, nearly everything the universe does is geared toward replication. >>Read More

Now, a new study shows definitively that the common mole (Scalopus aquaticus) – the same critter that disrupts the lawns and gardens of homeowners throughout the eastern United States, Canada and Mexico – relies on stereo sniffing to locate its prey. >>Read More

The behaviour suggests the potential for 'state-attribution' in these birds -- the ability to recognise and understand the internal life and psychological states of others. >>Read More

If true, the study, casts doubt on the idea that modern humans and Neanderthals co-existed—and possibly even interbred—for millennia, because humans aren't believed to have settled in the region until 42,000 years ago. " >>Read More

Scientists have found that wild ravens make gestures, a feat even most primates can’t manage. What the birds are saying, however, is anyone’s guess. >>Read More