Fire Over Ahwahnee: John Muir and the Decline of Yosemite
In July 1929 a frail, elderly woman quietly processed acorns on the floor of the Yosemite Valley. Her weather worn face appeared thin, yet firm like crumpled paper.
Stories by Eric Michael Johnson
Does Nature Need to be Nurtured?
Some say that the differences between boys and girls are just aping nature, but studies of primates tell a more complex story "Boys will be boys" is a popular refrain in schools.
On the Origin of White Power
A new book argues race and genetics explain "the rise of the West." Bad science explains the downfall of its ideas. Nicholas Wade is not a racist.
Helen’s Choice: Female Multiple Mating in the Natural World
Helen would never have yielded herself to a man from a foreign country, if she had known that the sons of Achaeans would come after her and bring her back.
Human Nature and the Moral Economy
Economics is inextricably tied to moral behavior, though few economists will say that. It’s time someone did. In every financial transaction–whether you’re selling a car, paying employees, or repackaging commodity futures as financial derivatives–there are ethical calculations that influence economic activity beyond the price...
We Contain Multitudes: Walt Whitman, Charles Darwin, and the Song of Empathy
In the struggle for existence how do we herald the better angels of our nature? Author's Note: On Tuesday I will be traveling to Manchester, England for the International Conference for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine where I'll be giving my talk entitled "A Historical Epistemology of Empathy from Darwin to De Waal." In the lead up to my journey across the pond the iCHSTM organizers offered me the opportunity to publish a shortened version of my talk on the conference blog where I have cross-posted that which follows...
Truth of the Matter
Science is not a path towards truth; therein lies its greatest strength.In his latest book, The Bonobo and the Atheist , primatologist Frans de Waal describes a forum held at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia where he spoke alongside the Dalai Lama...
Equality and Individuality: A Collaboration Between Primates
Longtime readers of The Primate Diaries will certainly know the artwork of Nathaniel Gold. Ever since we encountered one another's work in the spring of 2011 we have been collaborating on a fusion of art and science...
The Mosaic of Human Origins
New research challenges the story of human evolution, revealing a more complex picture than anyone imagined.Studying the bones of our ancestors does more than connect past with present...
Macaque and Dagger in the Simian Space Race
Why does the U.S. suspect Iran of faking their monkey space flight? Because we did it first.It was a blistering hot summer, as it usually is in that part of the world.
The Gospel of Wealth Fails the Inequity Test in Primates
Author’s Note: The following originally appeared at ScienceBlogs.com and was subsequently a finalist in the 3 Quarks Daily Science Prize judged by Richard Dawkins.
Ayn Rand on Human Nature
“Every political philosophy has to begin with a theory of human nature,” wrote Harvard evolutionary biologist Richard Lewontin in his book Biology as Ideology .
A Grimm Tale of Reproductive Conflict
A new study argues that in-law competition drove the evolution of menopause. But is the story too good to be true?In the classic Scandinavian folktale "The Twelve Wild Ducks," also known as "The Twelve Brothers" in Grimms' Fairy Tales , a wicked old Queen is jealous of her daughter-in-law's beauty...
Punishing Cheaters Promotes the Evolution of Cooperation
Humans are one of the most cooperative species on the planet. Our ability to coordinate behavior and work collaboratively with others has allowed us to create the natural world’s largest and most densely populated societies, outside of deep sea microbial mats and a few Hymenoptera mega-colonies.However, a key problem when trying to understand the evolution of cooperation has been the issue of cheaters...
The Joker's Wild: On the Ecology of Gun Violence in America
The United States is the deadliest wealthy country in the world. Can science help us explain, or even solve, our national crisis?
The Good Fight
Prominent scientists are in a bitter struggle over the origins of kindness. But the root of this conflict may be the most ironic part of all.<
Reflections in the Monkey House
After a year of collaborative work it is time to reflect and give thanks. Won't you join us? Today marks the one year anniversary of The Primate Diaries in its latest incarnation here at the Scientific American blog network as well as my collaboration with the artist, and fellow primate, Nathaniel Gold...
The Better Bonobos of Our Nature
In contrast to "killer-apes," the latest evidence suggests our peaceful primate cousins may be a better model for human origins. Author's note: A new study published in the journal Nature has sequenced the genome of bonobos and compared them to chimpanzees as well as humans finding some surprising results...
The Failed Synthesis: Eduard Kolchinsky on the Dangers of Mixing Science and Politics
Science is social, but when political ideology takes precedence over experimental evidence the results can be fatal.The United States is in the midst of a partisan political battle over science...
The Allure of Gay Cavemen
Third genders, two spirits, and a media without a clue. Author's Note: Earlier this month the UK Daily Mail reported on continued excavation at an archaeological site near Prague where researchers described an individual with an alternative gender identity...
