Kat McGowan
Inside the Goth Chicken: Black Bones, Black Meat, and a Black Heart
In the historical novel The Black Tulip, written by Alexandre Dumas, an honest and decent Dutch tulip fancier is nearly brought to ruin by his quest to breed a purely black flower. More precisely, his misadventure is due to the dastardly schemes of his neighbor, who, frantic with spite and jealousy over the plants, frames […]
When Pseudosex Is Better Than the Real Thing
What we can learn about evolution from species who thrive without sexual reproduction.
Can Training Help People Un-learn a Lifetime of Racial Bias?
In the 1990s, the block I lived on in New York City was chaotic and seedy. From my window, I’d witnessed many drug deals, one stabbing, and the aftermath of one shooting. The mayhem escalated dramatically on the Fourth of July, when it was a good idea to stay somewhere else for the night. But […]
Inside the Goth Chicken: Black Bones, Black Meat & a Black Heart
In the historical novel The Black Tulip, written by Alexandre Dumas, an honest and decent Dutch tulip fancier is nearly brought to ruin by his quest to breed a purely black flower. More precisely, his misadventure is due to the dastardly schemes of his neighbor, who, frantic with spite and jealousy over the plants, frames […]
Splotchy Cats Show Why It’s Better to Be Female
If you’ve never really noticed the wide range of colors that can adorn the domestic cat, you might want to spend some time skimming through the official color charts of the Cat Fanciers Association website. According to the association, which claims to maintain the largest registry of pedigreed cats, cats can come in seal lynx […]
Big Data Helps Find the Achilles Heel of Each Individual Cancer
In January, the pharmaceutical company Roche paid more than a billion dollars to buy about half of a small company called Foundation Medicine. Foundation has not invented any new drugs or life-saving devices. Most insurance companies won’t pay for its main product, and like a lot of biotech companies, it loses money.The big bucks are for […]
An Unlikely Cure Signals New Hope for Cancer
How “exceptional responders” are revolutionizing treatment for the deadly disease.
Internet Rage, the Flip Side of Selfless Heroism
Human nature is one of those aspects of the world that can seem inexplicable, too varied and complicated to be pinned down by overarching explanations. On the one hand our species includes people like Garrett O’Hanlon, who was standing on a Manhattan subway platform one recent night when someone passed out onto the tracks right […]
Cooperation Is What Makes Us Human
Where we part ways with our ape cousins.
Cooperation Is What Makes Us Human
Where we part ways with our ape cousins.