Skeptics’ Circle 68

Skeptics’ Circle 68 is up at Aardvarchaeology (yeah, that sounds bizarre , but the place is great). And the Carnival is great also.
My favorite for #68 at Greta Christina’s Blog.

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The grapevine genome sequence suggests ancestral hexaploidization in major angiosperm phyla

Via
The analysis of the first plant genomes provided unexpected evidence for genome duplication events in species that had previously been considered as true diploids on the basis of their genetics. These polyploidization events may have had important consequences in plant evolution, in particular for species radiation and adaptation and for the modulation of functional capacities. [...]

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Scientists should unite against threat from religion

Scientists should unite against threat from religion
C’est la lettre que Sam Harris a adressé à Nature il y a une semaine, en réponse au commentaire de Ziauddin Sardar.
Je me range derrière Harris, sans la moindre hésitation. Les réligions, quelles qu’elles soient, n’ont pas leur place dans les labos, pas plus que les idéologies [...]

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More than lip service : Article : Nature

More than lip service : Article : Nature: “More than lip service
Biology and physics have much to offer each other; but they must forge equitable partnerships.
Towards the end of the twentieth century, many distinguished people hailed the arrival of the ‘century of biology’. Physics was, in the minds of some, given a pat on the [...]

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New Microbial Fuel Cell Design Boosts Electricity Production

New Microbial Fuel Cell Design Boosts Electricity Production: “Biological engineers have designed a microbial fuel cell that is capable of generating about 10 times more electricity than previously possible from an air cathode microbial fuel cell of the same size. This design breakthrough could allow microbial fuel cells to be used more widely as sources [...]

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Varying environments can speed up evolution

via
Varying environments can speed up evolution
Nadav Kashtan, Elad Noor, and Uri Alon
www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0611630104, Open Access

Simulations of biological evolution, in which computers are used to evolve systems toward a goal, often require many generations to achieve even simple goals. It is therefore of interest to look for generic ways, compatible with natural conditions, in which evolution in [...]

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