Science & Technology

Archeobotanists argue that plant domestication involved much trial and error in many different geographic regions over a long period of time. A genetic technique that allows domesticated and wild strains of the same plant to be compared shows that domestication requires only simple genetic changes. Yet the findings don’t contradict the archeobotanical data.  

Population growth is driving much of the world’s resource problems, and our political leaders ignore it, says Robert Criss, Ph.D., professor of earth & planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences.

Next time you think “oil spill,” remember that the vegetable oils used to make Freedom fries also can create an environmental mess.