Bodies of Evidence
When combined thoughtfully with traditional historical methods, analysis of ancient DNA can illuminate the lives, characters, and motivations of people long dead.
Patrick Whittle
· 11 min read
Science
A collection of 161 posts
Survival of the Fitting
How a set of unglamorous enzymes quietly solved biology’s biggest problem: how to create and uphold a set of rules that make meaning from molecules.
Praveen Prathapan
· 6 min read
Sociobiology on Trial
Wilson wanted to apply Darwin to everything from ants to humans. In response, the media embarked on a crusade to discredit him.
Peggy Sastre
· 14 min read
A Brief History of Inbreeding
How kinship, culture, and genetics shaped one of humanity’s oldest taboos.
Francisco Ceballos
· 12 min read
Podcast #309: Is There a ‘War on Science’? (And if so, Who’s Waging It?)
Jonathan Kay speaks with theoretical physicist and cosmologist Lawrence Krauss about his latest book project, in which renowned scholars speak out about threats to open inquiry and the scientific process.
Quillette, Lawrence M. Krauss
· 20 min read
Trump’s War on Science
The Trump administration is proposing to end support for some of the cutting-edge scientific research that is crucial to America's economic prosperity and military security.
Lawrence M. Krauss
· 5 min read
When Do Scholarly Retractions Become a Form of Censorship?
Focusing on the handful of papers that are retracted for political reasons can obscure the more important problems afflicting the field of academic publishing.
Ivan Oransky
· 12 min read
Poisoning Mosquitoes with Human Blood
Scientists may have discovered a new weapon in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases.
Henry I. Miller
· 2 min read
Religion: A Bad Prescription for America
Though faith may provide comfort to some, it cannot produce reliable facts about nature that can be used to repair a divided populace.
Jerry A. Coyne
· 9 min read
Sage of Sex and Psyche
Remembering Don Symons (1942–2024).
Steven Pinker
· 12 min read
Three Hard Truths About California’s Fire Crisis
Climate change makes fires more dangerous. Government competence matters. And preventing catastrophic fires requires expensive, unpopular measures.
Claire Lehmann
· 7 min read
How Santa Ana Winds Are Fuelling the Deadly fires in LA
It’s very hard to extinguish a fire under these conditions.
Jon Keeley
· 4 min read
The Cass Effect
A landmark report properly emphasises the application of science, not slogans, in establishing treatment protocols for trans-identified children.
The Quillette Editorial Board
· 14 min read
Peter Higgs (1929–2024): A Gentle Giant of Science
We have lost an important scientist; we have also lost a wonderful man.
Lawrence M. Krauss
· 7 min read
Reflections on the Eclipse
In the modern world, it is easy to forget our connection to celestial objects and how important that connection has been throughout human history.
Lawrence M. Krauss
· 5 min read