Now on ScienceBlogs: My Mother's Hairbrush and the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
David Dobbs on science, nature, and culture.
I write on science, medicine, nature, culture and other matters for the New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Slate, National Geographic, Scientific American Mind, and other publications. (Find clips here.) Right now I'm writing my fourth book, The Orchid and the Dandelion, which explores the hypothesis that the genetic roots some of our worst problems and traits — depresison, hyperaggression, violence, antisocial behavior — can also give rise to resilience, cooperation, empathy, and contentment. The book expands on my December 2009 Atlantic article exploring these ideas.
I've also written three books, including Reef Madness: Charles Darwin, Alexander Agassiz, and the Meaning of Coral, which traces the strangest but most forgotten controversy in Darwin's career — an elemental dispute running some 75 years.
If you'd like, you can subscribe to Neuron Culture by email. You might also want to see more of my work at my main website or check out my Tumblr log.
January 31, 2010
Category: Culture of science
It was a riveting, invigorating, almost intoxicating experience. It seemed a glimpse of the sort of honesty, rigor, transparency, and quality of thought and discussion that a more open system of science communication and discussion might generate.
Posted by David Dobbs at 11:36 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Rise Of Marketing-Based Medicine 64 Comments By Ed Silverman // January 28th, 2010 // 7:57 am You've heard...
Posted by David Dobbs at 2:14 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 29, 2010
Category: Brains and minds
The week's best -- with new features!
Posted by David Dobbs at 2:14 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 26, 2010
Category: Brains and minds
Gary Kasparov ponders the limitations of technology as a means of playing chess truly well. His critique could be applied equally well to pharma.
Posted by David Dobbs at 10:45 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Healthcare policy
Healthcare reform? Were we talking about healthcare reform?
Posted by David Dobbs at 9:28 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Medicine
Neuroskeptic takes a sharp look at how our expanding definition of depression paralleled our expanding use of antidepressants -- and perhaps led to antidepressant's poor performance in the less severely depressed. T
Posted by David Dobbs at 8:11 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 25, 2010
Category: Evolution
Really fast evolution, this time driven by agriculture.
Posted by David Dobbs at 6:59 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 14, 2010
Category: Healthcare policy
We don't have a government-run system. But our system is so expensive that our government's partial role is pricier...
Posted by David Dobbs at 6:46 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: PTSD
This is a pretty big deal if it holds up in future trials.
Posted by David Dobbs at 6:02 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 13, 2010
Category: Culture of science
Ask not whom to kill, but how sci journalism and/or sci journalists might adapt to a new environment.
Posted by David Dobbs at 11:48 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Gene Expression 01.30.2010
Christina's LIS Rant 01.31.2010
Casaubon's Book 02.01.2010
Dot Physics 01.31.2010
Dynamics of Cats 02.01.2010
