Taking historical figures down to earth
2025-09-30 12:42 Some famous historical individuals are the subject of metaphorical worship by their fans.  Others have paid authors to depict themselves with superhuman characteristics.  In the 19th century people might have believed such descriptions.
African involvement in the Transatlantic slave trade
2025-08-24 19:18 There is an idea of only Europeans having enslaved people from Sub-Saharan Africa.  They are claimed to have raided and kidnapped the locals.  The trouble is the slave trade went on for several centuries.
What is hygiene?
2025-07-31 19:57 Nowadays hygiene is foremost associated with washing and removing. But it may also mean keeping things separate. Such a separation between things is often taken for granted today.
What is genetic engineering?
2025-07-10 18:34 There is a reason why the word genes is linked in the last few blog posts.  A great deal have a wrong idea of what genes are.  I have read about people believing that genes are something artificial added to food.
Why inbreeding is a bad idea
2025-06-25 13:13 It seems like humanity is particularly sensitive to inbreeding.  If so it is because evolution has changed our ancestors too quickly.  The locomotor system has changed considerably in 3.5 million years.
Why the eugenicists were wrong
2025-06-19 17:29 Eugenics arose at a time when the pace of evolution was unknown. Charles Darwin himself thought it was a very slow process. But many of his admirers believed it went at breakneck speed.
On wolves and dogs
2025-01-17 17:05 Many people have misunderstood how grey wolves are and look.  Apart from the myth of the predator threat they are imagined as monstrous.  People think they are much larger than average humans.
On mythological figures
2024-12-21 14:21 I just want to remind about me being a non-believer.  This does not mean I am hostile to religion.  If God exist or not each may decide for him- or herself.  In contrast I deny the existence of divine intervention.
What global warming means
2024-05-22 13:19 Climate change means a shifting in statistical averages.  In the case of global warming this means a shift to the warmer.  Mostly this affects areas situated closer to the poles.
The limits of human memory
2024-03-01 12:48 A great deal on people seem to believe their memory to be perfect.  The trouble is human memory is part of human nature.  Processes taking place naturally can’t create anything perfect.