The Marvelous Evolution of Brain Size

A reflection on the brain size of the Leader

I am a big fan of Marvel comics. In the Hulk franchise there is a character known as the Leader (Samuel Sterns). This bad guy got bombarded with gamma radiation, which resulted in a super-sized brain and superior intelligence. But is it biologically possible to live with a brain of this size?

When we look at the human fossil record, it is clear that there is an increase in brain size. The early hominids, such as Australopithecus and Paranthropus, have a cranial capacity of about 400 to 500 cc. The first members of our own genus Homo show a quick increase in brain size from 600 (H. habilis) to 800 cc (H. ergaster). Modern humans are endowed with a cranial volume of 1200 cc on average. Men have a slightly higher capacity compared to women, but I won't go into this (precarious) issue.

But have we reached a limit or can human brain size still increase to take the proportions of the leader? Research shows that this is improbable, the size of the brain is limited by the energy intake of an organism. The brain is a very active organ and requires a huge energy input. There appears to be a linear relationship between energetic cost and number of neurons. So, in principle, the brain could increase in size by adding more space between the neurons but keeping the number of neurons constant. However, this would probably not result in an increase in intelligence. So, it might be feasible to get a brain size similar to the Leader, but without the consequent increase in intelligence.

Is the Leader unrealistic? No, because he obviously extracts the needed energy input for his enormous brain from the gamma radiation! So...says...the Leader!

The End of Evolutionary Theory is Nigh, because Dragons are Real...

A reflection on another creationist failure

Evolution can be refuted very easily by one observation: just find one fossil in the wrong place. The famous J.B.S. Haldane formulated it nicely as discovering "fossil rabbits in the Precambrium". And, guess what, this has never happened! All the fossils that have been found are at the right place, and in the right rocks. For example, nobody has ever found a human fossil next to a dinosaur fossil, because they lived millions of years apart.

But now, one creationist by the name of Darek Isaacs, has found the way to (as he puts it) "demolish the theory of evolution." In his book, Dragons or Dinosaurs he argues that there is evidence that humans and dinosaurs lived side by side. And this undoubtely confirms the truth of the Bible. Another victory for ignorance...

Here is the cover of the book and the abstract:

Dragon legends are found in nearly every culture around the globe. They have been thought to be myths. Yet, mysteriously, these dragons sound a lot like the other giant scaled reptiles, dinosaurs. Could they be one and the same? Surprisingly enough, the answer to this question is a powerful truth that confirms biblical authority and demolishes the theory of evolution. This book brings forth many new theories and evidence that are sure to fascinate the reader.

Science on Youtube!

A collection of great Youtube videos

As part of my PhD, I am also obliged to assist in certain courses. Today, one of those courses (Ecological Methods 2) ended with a day filled with student presentations. The students can choose between a classic powerpoint or a Youtube video to present their results. And the groups that choose the latter will be supervised by me or Fred de Boer (the course coordinator). And here are the results from last year and this year! Just click on the links and enjoy.

2013

• Beetles
• Bees
• Coots
• Woodlice

2014

• Earthworms (under construction)
• Ladybugs
• Moths
• Rubbish
• Ticks and abiotic factors
• Ticks and mice (under construction)

Why Balkan Priests Need Some Basic Statistics

A reflection on statistics and the ignorance of Balkan priests

One of the first lessons you learn in a basic statistics course is that "a correlation is not necessary a causation". When you find a significant relationship between two variables, it does not automatically entail that there is a causal connection between the two. For instance, researchers found a significant relation between the number of storks nesting in the city and the number of babies born in the city. Is this evidence for the Stork Theory? Do storks deliver babies? Not really, a third variable caused the seeming relation between storks and nests. It turned out that the city under investigation (Copenhagen, Denmark) expanded which resulted in more nesting places for the storks and more people (and babies) in the city.

Now why this statistical lesson? It seems that religious leaders in the Balkan have not quite grasped the concepts of correlation and causation which I just illustrated. Several church leaders have claimed that the recent floods in the Balkan where a "divine punishment" for the Eurovision contest victory of Conchita Wurst. One of the leaders, Patriarch Amfilohije, said that "God sent the rains as a reminder that people should not join the wild side." So, these priests see a direct causation between the floods and the victory of Conchita Wurst? I guess basic statistics (let alone science) is part of the religious education of these priests...

Species Spotlight: Pheasant-tailed Jacana

The bird in this Species Spotlight wasn't really selected at random. I came across its generic name (Hydrophasianus) during my work. It means "water pheasant", so I was curious to see what this birds looks like. And it turns out to be a beauty!

So, here is the Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)!

As you can derive from its name, this bird belongs to the Jacana-family. These waterbirds are quite special because of their breeding system, in which a female has multiple males (polyandry).

Hanging the Monkey

A reflection on the monkey hangers of Hartlepool

While reading the book The Accidental Species by Henry Gee, I came across an interesting story. During the Napoleonic wars, a French ship was wrecked of the coast of Hartlepool. The only survivor was a monkey, supposedly wearing a French uniform as amusement for the crew. The people of Hartlepool captured the monkey and held a trial on the beach. They had never seen a Frenchman or a monkey, and because the monkey was unable to answer any of their questions, he was seen as a French spy. The animal was being found guilty, sentenced to death and hanged on the beach.

Drawing of the Hartlepool Monkey

An alternative theory is that it was not a monkey, but a young boy. In those times the term powder-monkey was used for children on warships that prepared the cannons with gunpowder.

Mixing Coca Cola and Milk: What Happens?

A reflection on simple chemistry

Here is a fun experiment you can do at home. Take a bottle of Coca Cola and add some milk. Wait for a while and you will get a strange mixture in the bottle. The bottom is covered by a snot-like substance, while the remaining liquid becomes transparent. What is happening here?

Because I have a (short) history as a chemistry teacher, I wanted to find out what reaction is taking place. And it turns out to be quite simple. The phosphoric acid in the Coca Cola reacts with a protein in milk called casein. The phosphoric acid molecules attach to the protein and become more dense. That is why they sink to the bottom and form a snot-like substance. You can trigger the same reaction if you mix milk with other acidic liquids, such as vinegar or lemon juice.