history

Human origins science in 1925: the good, the bad, and the fake

As I look back at a sometimes-confusing picture of a science in its early days, I see some connections with today's landscape.

Jul 13 •

How evolution became a uniquely American controversy

Setting the stage for the battle over classroom teaching as I prepare for the centennial of the 1925 Scopes Trial.

Jun 16 •

Geneticists work to understand how skeletons wound up in a mysterious Himalayan lake

Reviewing new work that reveals migrants from several historic periods in the skeletons surrounding this lake in India.

Aug 21, 2019 •

Have human lifespans been constant for the last 2000 years?

Maximum lifespan is hard to assess in past populations. The data suggest that lifespan has been increasing over time.

Aug 25, 2009 •

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts