Read More

“New” Family Tree for Neotropical Knifefishes

A great deal goes into not only finding a new fish species, but in confirming that it is, in fact, unknown to science and then placing it on the “tree of life”. The scientific names and classifications of fishes – and all living things – are based on specimens that are collected in the field and preserved in natural history collections like the Academy of Natural Sciences here in Philadelphia. Published literature creates a verifiable chain of custody that ties taxonomic names to their authors, dates, usage and museum specimens.

Read More

Q+A: Where Do Thoughts That Seem to Appear Out of Nowhere Actually Come From?

During the course of a day, our attention can easily wander from time to time. Our brain can go from focusing on something around us to involuntary, random thoughts for no apparent reason. This “mind-wandering” describes a common phenomenon in which a wide range of self-generated thoughts emerge spontaneously. Neuroscientists have been studying the brain for years as they try to understand where these spontaneous thoughts come from.