SCIENCE BLOG

Brain Power

By Jim Virkler | January 23, 2017

Published 1-23-2017 All human abilities, aptitudes, achievements, talents, and gifts are mediated by the human brain. The primary organ of the central nervous system, the brain is a command and…

Born or Raised, Nature or Nurture?

By Jim Virkler | January 16, 2017

Published 1-16-2017 For centuries there has been a robust discussion concerning the relative importance of nature and nurture with respect to the traits humans develop. Are human traits inherent and…

Gifted Prodigies

By Jim Virkler | January 6, 2017

Published 1-6-2017 All life is a gift bestowed by the Creator of Life. In this sense, all humans are gifted. The broader phenomenon of giftedness, however, is associated with possession…

Salt as Fertilizer

By Jim Virkler | December 31, 2016

Published 12-31-2016 A famous parable offered by Jesus Christ during his ministry relates to the chemical value of salt as a preservative, a seasoning, and most effectively as a fertilizer.…

Gifts to Men

By Jim Virkler | December 23, 2016

Published 12-23-2016 Scripture passages found in Psalm 68:18 and Ephesians 4:8, God gave gifts to men, were intended to highlight spiritual gifts such as prophesying, evangelism, pastoring, or teaching. The…

Plant Adaptation

By Jim Virkler | December 14, 2016

Published 12-14-2016 When George H. W. Bush was president of the United States, he was involved in a interesting and humorous “dust-up” with nutritionists and parents alike. The humor of…

The Domestication Syndrome

By Jim Virkler | December 9, 2016

Published 12-9-2016 Humanity’s transition to agriculture in the last 10,000 years could not have occurred without the domestication phenomenon. Domestication of animals and plants was associated with the transformative revolution…

Paleoanthropology

By Jim Virkler | December 5, 2016

Published 12-5-2016 In post-retirement reverie I have imagined what my profession might be if given a second chance at a career decision. I have never regretted becoming a public school…

Genetics–King of Domestication

By Jim Virkler | November 26, 2016

Published 11-26-2016 Our recent blog posts have highlighted the human agricultural revolution which occurred about 10-12,000 years ago. The transitions were not uniform in all areas. Some changes had begun…

Physical/Spiritual Dualities

By Jim Virkler | November 19, 2016

Published 11-19-2016 Our world is a world of multiple dualities. Let us give a few examples. There are many physical dualities such as day and night, light and dark, hot…