Another Kind of Brain

Posted on May 21, 2014September 30, 2018 by admin

In December, Ibloggedabout an animal most people have never heard of–the comb jelly. It’s a gorgeous, mysterious creature that just might belong to the oldest lineage of animals alive today. Today, over at National Geographic News, I’m reporting on a new study of the comb jelly that suggests it’s even more interesting than that. Unlike all other animals with a nervous system, it seems to have evolved nerves and a brain all its own. It even has its own special neurochemical language. If true, it’s about as close to an alien intelligence that we can encounter here on Earth.Check it out.

Continue reading “Another Kind of Brain” →

Introducing Carl’s Banned-Word Scanner

Posted on May 20, 2014September 30, 2018 by admin

I’ve taught writing semi-regularly over the past few years. Over that time, I’ve come to realize that one of the biggest challenges in learning how to write about the natural world is to learn how to skillfully wield beautiful, plain language . Scientists and scientists-in-training often lard their writing with jargon, rather than looking for a conversational equivalent. This addiction to jargon can leave a piece of writing sterile. It can mystify everyone except the experts–which is a bad strategy if you aspire to write for the public. An addiction to jargon can even create catastrophic misunderstandings. Readers may apply a non-technical definition for a word that a scientist uses with a very technical meaning in mind. (Think of “theory” as a hunch.)

Continue reading “Introducing Carl’s Banned-Word Scanner” →

Why Are Our Marshes Dying?

Posted on May 15, 2014September 30, 2018 by admin

CAPE COD MARSH. JOSHUA BOUSEL VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

Marshes are dying off, and scientists are trying to figure out what’s killing them.In my new “Matter” column for the New York Times, I look at a new experiment that points to a surprising culprit.Check it out.

Continue reading “Why Are Our Marshes Dying?” →

Attack of the Monster Turtles

Posted on May 14, 2014February 19, 2020 by Carl Zimmer

My family and I were trapped once in our house by a terrorizing turtle. Last week, I told the saga of that day–and of my lifelong obsession with strange animals–at Story Collider, an evening of live story-telling about science. The recording is now online, and so you can listen to it here. May you have many peaceful encounters with turtles in your life.

Seeing The Branches for the Tree

Posted on May 13, 2014October 14, 2018 by admin

BANYAN TREE, BANGLADESH. PHOTO BY TERRY SUNDERLAND/CIFOR VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

There is a scientific picture waiting to be drawn. Someone has to do artistic justice to the evolutionary tree of life.

Back in 1837, Charles Darwin sketched out a tree of life in a notebook as a way to visualize his idea that different species share a common ancestor. In the generations since he published The Origin of Species, biologists have tried to draw trees that distill the actual relationships between living things.

Continue reading “Seeing The Branches for the Tree” →