Archives
Is Life an Information Ratchet?
Some examples of ratchets include a socket wrench, an old-fashioned car jack, and a winch mounted on a truck or on a ship to haul up an anchor.
HBO Toys with Transhumanism
As a plot element, a popular show about a family-owned media empire hints at the desire to live forever.
Cellulose Doesn’t Just Happen
The most abundant biopolymer on Earth requires a host of machines, genes, proteins, and accessories.
Model Cell Visualized as a Compact Factory
Capturing the interior parts of a cell in their complex relationships took a lot of work, but some researchers have set a new high bar for biophysical imaging.
Protein Evolution, the Waiting-Time Problem, and the Intriguing Possibility of Two First Parents
After being asked to evaluate the scientific case against Adam and Eve, Ann Gauger dove into population genetics.