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Tidbits - August 8, 2013

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Reader Comments- Wisconsin Crackdown; Labor Collective Bargaining; Detroit & Pensions; Early Human Settlements show War has Deep Evolutionary Roots; Honduras; Shorts: Child of Disappeared Political Prisoners Found in Argentina; Murder of Philippines Labor Leaders; Announcements - Call Mr. Robeson - Berkeley-Aug 11; Conference Honoring Jerry Tucker - St.Louis Oct 11-13; Organizing 2.0 Fall Internship - NYC Portside announcements about Quote & Toon of the Day, REWIND

Ladybusiness Anthropologist Throws Up Hands, Concedes Men Are the Reason for Everything Interesting in Human Evolution

Kate Clancy Scientific American Blogs
In evolutionary theory, we have this thing we tend to look for, called parsimony. What fits the data best? Fertility into old age is part of our ancestral history if menopause is to eventually evolve, yes? Then probably our closest living relatives, like say chimpanzees, don’t have menopause, unless it independently evolved more than once of course. Right.

How Humans Evolved to Play Hardball

Sid Perkins Nature
Baseball players reveal how humans evolved to throw so well. A catapult-like mechanism allows energy to be stored in shoulder and torso, a video study of pitchers reveals.

Why Chimps Don't Play Baseball

Although some primates occasionally throw objects, and with a fair degree of accuracy, only humans can routinely hurl projectiles with both speed and accuracy. Adult male chimpanzees can throw objects at speeds of around 30 kilometres per hour, but even a 12-year-old human can pitch a baseball three times faster than that

Even Our Ancestors Never Really Ate the “Paleo Diet”

Carrie Arnold Discover
The Paleo Diet is a new food trend. There is little doubt that many modern humans eat too much sugar and processed foods. However, recent studies show that identifying a particular “paleo” diet is impossible. Researchers are just beginning to understand what ancient humans ate, and these recent studies show that grasses and grains have been part of the human diet for millions of years.

Missouri bill redefines science, gives equal time to intelligent design

John Timmer Ars Technica
Late last month, the Missouri House started considering [a bill] that deviates in staggering ways. Instead of being quiet about its intent, it redefines science, provides a clearer definition of intelligent design than any of the idea's advocates ever have, and it mandates equal treatment of the two. In the process, it mangles things so badly that teachers would be prohibited from discussing Mendel's Laws.
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