This article explores how cardinals perceive their environment, and how they explore their place in it, especially with respect to color.
Do Cardinals Know They Are Red? A Closer Look at a Christmas Icon
Emperor Palpatine: A Case Study in Narcissistic Leadership
The analysis explores how Emperor Palpatine's narcissism drove his destructive leadership, fostering a culture of flattery and manipulation that ultimately led to his downfall through disillusionment, not rebellion.
Keep Young and Beautiful: A Natural History of Courtship, Vanity, and the Art of Looking Good
Annie Lennox's song "Keep Young and Beautiful" reflects the irony of beauty as a persuasion strategy rooted in evolutionary biology. Various species, from cleaner wrasses to dung beetles, demonstrate deliberate manipulation of appearance and behavior to enhance mating success, revealing shared evolutionary patterns in beauty and attraction across species.
Dracula, Vlad the Impaler, and the Science of Fear
The Legend and the Man Vlad the Impaler dining amongst his victims. German, published posthumously (1499), twenty-two years after his death. Vlad III, known as Vlad the Impaler (1448-1477), has long been entangled with the legend of Count Dracula. Bram Stoker’s vampire borrows his name and homeland, but the real Vlad was no immortal creature... Continue Reading →
The Physics of Santa’s Sleigh: How Science Could Get Him Airborne
Every December, Santa Claus faces the challenge of delivering presents worldwide. By integrating modern technologies such as jet and ion propulsion, graphene wings, and bioengineering for reindeer, his sleigh could potentially take flight. However, significant breakthroughs in quantum mechanics and materials science are essential for this fantasy to become reality.
Are Octopuses Aliens? Debunking Extraterrestrial Theories
In a recent blog post, I explored the intriguing hypothesis that octopus intelligence may have extraterrestrial origins, as proposed by a global team of researchers, as part of the Astrobiology section of the upcoming Life Beyond Earth? exhibition at the Linda Hall Library. The idea was tantalizing—a species so vastly different from anything else on... Continue Reading →
The Bird in Music: Chasing Ghosts in a Fading Meadow
In honor of the Linda Hall Library opening its latest exhibition, "Chained to the Sky: The Science of Birds, Past and Future," this post is a celebration of birds' place in music through the ages. While the celebration is muted by birds' precipitous decline, it also serves as a crucial reminder that there is still... Continue Reading →
All Hail the Pumpkin King: The Spellbinding Saga of the World’s Favorite Squash
The pumpkin, cultivated since ancient times, has become a cultural icon, symbolizing fall, Halloween, culinary tradition and modern commerce.
Essence of Old Books
Chef Wojciech Popow extracts 'old book smell' for culinary use, raising questions about the tangible and intangible value of physical books.
The Paradox of Fear: Why AI Terrifies Us More Than Climate Change
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and climate change are two of the hottest button issues facing society today. While both have far-reaching implications for our lives and well-being, it's intriguing that while both are generating a significant buzz, AI is surpassing climate issues in generating fear of being an existential threat to humanity. People are busy enjoying... Continue Reading →
ERIC DORFMAN 