Both sites are focused on genetics and biology and are extremely incisive, intelligent, lively and prolific.

Could it be that they both, but particularly the former, are sometimes a bit too controversial, or non-PC — though always in open minded, evidence evaluating sort of way?

Oh no! Our secret is out!

Thanks for the shout-out, Carl.

(and coturnix — it was *armadillos*, not opossums. I was far too grossed out by opossum parasite loads to use them as a model species.)

Best wishes,
Johan, Sweden

Panda’s Thumb and especially AtBC are pack of liars – they banned me under pretext I am John Davison sockpuppet. They have no arguments, they dont know to check IP address and they just repeat darwinistic mantras. Having nothing to say they denigrate you. They have no slightest idea about mimicry and how complicated the phenomenon is. Of course there are many scientists that considered behind evolution of mimicry “internal” or other forces – Punnet, Heikertinger and nowadays Suchantke (Metamorphosen im Insektenreich).

I first met Moselio Schaechter through a common interest in obscene mushrooms.

Mushrooms are other part of biology where darwinism – to my opinion – is totally lost as to explain their coloration and toxicity. “Knowledgeable evolutiosts” from AtBC and Pharyngula have no notion about the problem. They tried without any knowledge to apply darwinistic mantra – poisonous should be colored (aposematic) and edible cryptic. Of course it is nonsense.According latest research: “Poisonous mushrooms do not tend to be more colorful or aggregated than edible mushrooms, but they are more likely to exhibit distinctive odors even when phylogenetic relationships are accounted for.” One most poisonous mushroom Amanita phalloides (responsible for 95% of the fatalities. One cap have enough poison to kill three people) have inconspicuous green cap.

Of course the striking coloration of mushrooms are unexplainable by darwinistic aposematics/crytic mantras considering the fact there are – except squirrels – no vision oriented mushroom eaters.

The other problem is their toxicity – some poisons start to take effect after many days – sometimes after three weeks after disgestion. No animal would remeber what is the source of their nuissance.

And yet: Wild animals eat fungi, yet mushroom poisonings in nature are unknown.

They have probably instincts which mushrooms are edible and which are poisnous (by smell I would say). I don’t know how darwinists would explain such instincts if learning is not “wired” into DNA somehow. The same problem are some interesting instincts of parasites mentioned in Mr. Zimmer book “Parasite Rex”. Yet author of the book is maidenly silent as to origin of evolution of such instresting insticts (eating poisonous leaves after being infected by parasites).

Now I must top SG at Crenshaw trivia by recalling that “You’re My Favorite Waste of Time” was attributed to MC “and his handsome, ruthless, and stupid band”, using a Dorothy Parker line to describe a one-man recording done in his living room.

The Anti-Toxo: A blog about every new paper or article on Toxoplasma, the resident parasite here at the Loom. If you want to understand our parasitic overlords, this is a must read.

Center for Science Writings Blog. John Horgan, veteran science writer, now runs the Center for Science Writing at Stevens Institute of Technology. Lots of good stuff on the blog.

El Gentraso: British science writer John Whitfield, who has been wandering the weird fields where thermodynamics meet life.

Evilutionary Biologist: Biologist John Dennehy is not actually evil. I particularly like his homages to classic papers. Get your history of science!

Genomicron: T. Ryan Gregory, Canadian biologist who works on genome size evolution.

Thanks for the links- now all I need is a 28 hour day and I’ll be all set.