Genetics 101 for Siblings

by margaret on November 20, 2008

TRYING TO UNDERSTAND human genetics, it’s best to think in terms of distance, or how genetically far we are from one another. When it was proposed that we are related to chimps, the Victorians went wild, in part because they saw the distance between us and monkeys to be a lot closer than it is. A little knowledge later, and we’re all a lot more comfortable with being part of an evolving continuum, hairy as some of those stops along the road may be. So, who’s the closest of them all? Here’s a hint: She’s even closer than you think. [click to continue…]

{ 5 comments }

Celestial Sisters x 7: The Pleiades

by margaret on October 29, 2008

THE VERY FIRST famous female siblings could hip-check any contemporary sister celebs right off the runway. Adored since time began, these original sisters have retained genuine star power since they first arrived, something you simply can’t say that about the Spears, the Olsens or even the ever-lovely Cruz family. These are the star cluster known as the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, and as conspicuous in the night sky as they are in ancient mythology. The Pleiades have been described as far back as representations in the 16,500-year-old cave paintings at Lascaux. [click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }