New research shows the importance of Archaea, one of three domains into which all living things are classified, for understanding all of biology. The origin of complex life: It was all about energy. Bacteria ‘R’ Us: Emerging research shows that bacteria have powers to engineer the environment, to communicate and to affect human well-being — they may even think (and more). An interview with Helene Guldberg on books on man and ape. The persistent paradox of human uniqueness: Does the example of a forgotten Darwin critic have any lessons for us? The chaos theory of evolution: Forget finding the laws of evolution — the history of life is just one damn thing after another. The Gates of Immortality: Did biology evolve a way to protect offspring from the ravages of aging by creating a physical barrier that separates the parent from its young? From Slate, some animals live for 400 years — what can they teach us about extending life?; and here is a modest proposal to slow aging and extend healthy life. Brooke the Immortal: An American child may hold secrets to aging. How beer, Oprah and Sergey Brin can help cure aging: An interview with Aubrey de Grey. From Wired, why breasts are the key to the future of regenerative medicine. Here are the top five reasons transhumanism can eliminate suffering. Human being in an inhuman age: What does it mean to be human amidst super-human technological advances? Think transhumanism is a relatively new social and intellectual phenomenon? Guess again — George Dvorsky revisits the proto-transhumanists Diderot and Condorcet. The “bodily turn” in philosophy began to emerge well before the current millennium, though its progress continues unabated. Keith Norbury on technology, ethics, and the real meaning of the “Rapture of the Nerds”. Kyle Munkittrick on why we need Gattaca to prevent Skynet and global warming.
