Oxytocin and warfare

Beware! This marvelous hormone is being marketed internationally as “Liquid Trust.” The marketing agencies argue that you can have unparalleled success in relationships and business endeavors if you use this nasal spray and “have confidence” in others! Don't fall for it!

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Nature's Times Square

Whenever I think I know a lot about something, I should realize it's a danger signal that I don't. That just happened to me with flowers

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Lost on a trail

How do you get lost in a tropical rain forest? Follow me.

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Mosquitoes, rabid hyenas, and the extended phenotype

Never forget three things when you go on a wilderness trip: repellent (DEET is the best ingredient), mosquito coils for a tent or screened room, and a flyswatter with a metal handle (because plastic handles break).

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A year for Darwin and astronomy

It just dawned on me that 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy. If I came back in another life I'd pick astronomy first. If I meaured the dropping of my jaw, I’d probably need a longer ruler when I think about the stars.

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Beach hikes on Olympic Peninsula

Mary Beth and I just got back from some exhilarating easy hikes on the black sand beaches of the Olympic Peninsula west of Seattle. Those are some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, with huge expanses of dark volcanic sand and enormous sea stacks (lone rocky remnants of headlands) dotting the waters offshore.

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