Monopoly is an extremely successful board game. Both from a popularity standpoint as well as an economic one. Which is somewhat ironic, as Monopoly was…
Funfact Friday
Phenoptosis – Are We Programmed to Die?
In 1999 the Russian biochemist Vladimir Skulachev coined the term Phenoptosis in his paper. In analogy to apoptosis (planned cell death), where cells undergo a…
Why is Everything so Expensive?
Everything was better in the good old days. You can ask your grandpa. But anecdotes aside, it really seems like things have been possible in…
Does Christmas Harm the Economy?
Every year, billions of dollars get spent on Christmas presents. But, economists argue, this does not increase the overall amount of spending, it just shifts…
Semelparity – Why some animals don’t survive mating season
Semelparity is a reproductive strategy whereby certain species of animals (sometimes both sexes, sometimes only males) only survive one mating episode and die shortly after…
Money and Prostitution in the Animal Kingdom
Do animals engage in prostituion? That depends on your definiton of prostitution. But there certainly is some evidence that animals at least engage in transactional…
Sex Changes in Clownfish
Clownfish live together in small groups with one large female fish and one or several smaller males. The smaller males cater for all the needs…