Andrew Seidler
Recent Activity
For Genes, Parental Bickering May Extend Beyond the Womb
If anybody needs an index into just how complicated we have managed to make our lives, just look at how long it takes a human to reach adulthood. The reason behind the bizarre and seemingly unnatural length of the human childhood (which averages more than twice that of any other primate) has long been a source of ambiguity. From an evolutionary perspective, a prolonged developmental phase is puzzling, as it requires greater parental investment and increases the risk that a being may die prior to reproductive age. The most widely accepted justification of this time and resource-taxing period of nourishment has been that the human brain, in preparation for the uniquely complicated tasks and elaborate social structures of homo sapien life, simply needs more time to develop more intelligence and behavioral flexibility than those of fellow creatures. … Read More
July 30, 2009 | In Health & Medicine, Science & Tech
When one thinks of a charming, peaceful place of respite, plush exotic gardens, secret passageways, and happy hobbyists, the area formerly known as “No Man’s Land,” or simply, “Death Strip,” isn’t exactly the first thing that springs to mind. Yet, twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Dutch landscape architect Joyce van den Berg is hoping to transform this “trauma zone” into a sprawling recreation center. … Read More
July 20, 2009 | In Environment
Wal-Mart’s Eco-Labels: the New Face of Capitalism, or Just Lipstick on a Pig?
As Wal-Mart unveiled plans to enforce mandatory ‘eco-labels’ on all of its products this week, a cloud of confusion has come over many environmental groups. How can the world’s largest and most aggressively expansive retailer—whose rise to global dominance has been dependent on, and partly responsible for, increased suburban sprawl, more freeways, and the gas-guzzling, ‘big-box,’ business model—position itself at the forefront of sustainable consumerism? … Read More
July 17, 2009 | In Environment
Beware of the Public Opinion Poll
The opinion poll has long been a curious counterpart to American democracy. But it's usage in the Internet-age may be hindering our ability to opine for ourselves. … Read More
July 8, 2009 | In Politics & Policy
The Rise and Fall of the Corporate Manly Man
Employed, their aggression and love of risk-taking proves destructive. Unemployed, their unemployment benefits are greater than some middle-class salaries. So how exactly can we reform the macho man for better times? … Read More
July 6, 2009 | In Identity
