The Quirks Blog

The Perfumer 16th c. by Bernard Picart (1673–1733) Sometimes it really pays to give a shit! We’re all familiar with the fable recounting the gag argument among the various organs of the human body as to which is most valuable and should be in charge. Even though the brain, blood, stomach, liver and so on put forward compelling arguments as to why what they do should be seen as most important, the rectum wins after not  doing its job for several days and distressing every othe

Familial kindness correlates with paternity uncertainty Father and Son, by Karl Bauerle 1880 Public Domain Most species of mammals and birds – indeed, even some species of fish – exhibit biparental care of offspring, though the investment in time, energy & resources is typically uneven between mom and dad. The balance of more versus less investment is a function of ‘parental certainty’: to what degree am I, as a mom or a dad, confident that this kid is mine? In evolutionary t

Comparative thanatology confronts the Grim Reaper “Man is the only animal that has to be encouraged to live”  – Friedrich Nietzsche When...

Procreation as a Defense Against Terror All humans (indeed, all organisms) share a set of bookends that mark their very existence on this...

Why Moving People Don't Fall Over Humans are bipeds. One of the unique features of our species setting us apart from virtually all other...

Living in the fast lane is linked to boredom proneness Who doesn’t get bored from time to time? Everyone does! But it is also true that...

Less pain, more strength: the benefits of saying ‘fuck’ out loud Let’s face it, we’ve all been there, working on this or that activity...

Ovulating all the way to the bank It is safe to say that the  core component of evolution is reproduction (and here we’re talking sexual...

Unemployment favors girl babies over boys “Boys will be boys”. A timeworn idiom accounting for the irritating mischief perpetrated by...

Inadequate placental compensation challenges male fetuses more than females   Hormones, those wacky wonderful little chemical messengers...