For the last 20 years or so, scientists have been studying evolution using a new kind of life form – a digital one. Originally inspired by computer viruses, digital organisms (DOs) are programs designed to replicate their own code. ... Read More  

This is my Uncle Ted. When I was a kid, he gave me a box of his favorite fantasy novels – the first I’d ever read – and can therefore be blamed for my lingering desire to write some ... Read More  

My publisher created this lovely trailer for FOX TALK using video that Brian Dust (also known as “hubby” or, more often, “Tech Support”) shot while we visited Featuring Animals this past February. I’m the one wielding the SLR, but ... Read More  

I’ve been spreading this video around the interwebs since writer-friend Ishta Mercurio first uploaded it to YouTube, because it really is completely perfect. So for this edition of Mad Scientist Monday, here it is again: So what do you ... Read More  

As I’ll be touring with FOX TALK for the next couple of weeks, a couple of announcements: Blog posts will go up as always, but it might take me a little longer to respond to comments. I’d still love ... Read More  

After compiling all the entries in the order received, I used a random number generator to select the winners. And those winners are…. *drumroll* KIM CLEARY – winner of an autographed copy of FOX TALK! PAULA MORROW – winner of ... Read More  

The Talk About Fox Talk Contest ends at 12:01 AM tomorrow – comment now to enter! For commenting inspiration, I offer adorableness: And also this question: If you could have any wild creature as a pet, what would it ... Read More  

My dad worked for the same company most of his adult life. He was good at his job, and enjoyed it until the last few years, when the priorities of said company began to change. By this time a ... Read More  

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1. Dogs were the first domestic animal species. Unambiguous archaeological evidence for dogs is about 12,000 years old, but domestication may have started 20,000 years or more before that. 2. Ancient Egyptians had at least three dog breeds: a ... Read More  

I have a confession to make: I hate radio. Not music – I love music. My life has a running soundtrack that plays in my head. And, okay, quite often breaks out of my head in spontaneous bursts of ... Read More  

Ever since I’ve been dairy-free, cheese and ice cream are the foods I miss the most. Luckily, writer-friend Ishta Mercurio shared her coconut ice cream recipe with me, which I tweaked and tested this weekend. It came out rich ... Read More  

I can’t post the video here for copyright reasons, but you should all go to the BBC right now and watch this incredible video about a lab that’s growing edible burgers from cow stem cells. Then come back here ... Read More  

You’ll read about a fight against the Anthropophagi – weird, voraciously hungry monsters that don’t need heads because their shark fangs are in their bellies – and then proceed to dream about harpies.  Except they aren’t harpies, they’re part ... Read More  

  There is something fascinating about science.  One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact. — Mark Twain Read More  

Any dog owner will tell you that their pet understands them – recognizes words, follows commands, and somehow knows when they need a sympathetic snuggle. Scientists call this communicative skill and intelligence “social cognition.” It’s the set of knowledge ... Read More  

So I watched Sharknado (voluntarily, unlike Snakes on a Plane, which I was dragged to with eyes in full-on roll mode). I could put on my scientist hat and talk about how almost everything about this movie is impossible, ... Read More  

According to a buddy of mine who works for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, there are seven major food allergens: wheat/gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, nuts, sesame, and shellfish. I’m allergic to the first five, plus a random assortment of ... Read More