I have promised to move some "classic Genomicron" posts to this new page, but in the meantime here is a list of what I consider the most significant posts from the last year.

For readers who have been following the blog, this may highlight anything you missed, or maybe will be a chance to revisit some older favourites¹. (And please update your blogroll to http://www.science20.com/genomicron)

For new readers, it provides a sense of what you can expect from this blog.

Either way, please enjoy.

Basic concepts:

• A quick word about species names.
• Chimps are not more evolved than humans or anyone else.
• "Because" versus "so that".
  
• Inter-lineage selection versus "just in case".
• Effect versus function.
• Phylogenetic fallacies: "early branching equals primitive".
  
• Phylogenetic fallacies: "branching from a main line".
• Punctuated equilibria is not saltationism.
• Modern Synthesis dead?
• Orgel's Second Rule and "unbeatable" predation tactics.
• Orgel's Second Rule and toxicity -- again.
• There ain't no flies in us.
• What's wrong with this figure?
• What's wrong with this figure? (Round two)
• What's wrong with this figure? (Round three).

"Junk DNA":

• Junk DNA -- the quotes of interest series
• A word about "junk DNA".
  
• The onion test
• Function, non-function, some function: a brief history of junk DNA
• MASHing junk DNA
• Junk DNA: let me say it one more time
• Is most of the human genome functional?
• Non-functional DNA: non-functional vs. inconsequential
• Non-functional DNA: quantity
• Non-functional DNA: the burden of proof
• Proof that introns are functional... come again?
• Ultraconserved non-coding regions must be functional... right?

Genomes:

• Are you a cat genome person or a dog genome person?
  
• Human gene number: surprising (at first) but not paradoxical.
• Whose genome?
• Endogenous retroviruses and human transcriptional networks.
• Genome size and gene number.
• From "Pangenesis" to "Genome".

Anti-evolutionism:

• An opportunity for ID to be scientific.
• Junk DNA and ID redux
• "Fx of Junk DNA" or "Mondo hackitude-o-rama".
  
• Bacterial genomes and evolution.
• Bombardier beetles.
• Reducibly complex bombardier beetles.
• The Dr. Credibility principle.

Science reporting:

• Cracking the code?
• Decoding the blueprint. Sigh.
• Dinosaurs made from pseudogenes?
  
• Discovery wants to "demote" fungi.
• The press going ape again.
• Suggestions for science writers.
• Press offices may be the problem.
• What can be done about press releases?
• The great headline mismatch.
• Evolution with a bullet.
• Hype vs. content.
• Junk and genomes in The Scientist.
• Junk DNA gets Wired.
• More about ENCODE from Scientific American.
• New Scientist gets it right.
• My growing respect for New Scientist.
• Non-coding DNA and the opossum genome.
• Two-for-one misconceptions about genomes from the New York Times.

Humour¹:

• Anatomy of a bad science story.
• Guide to translating scientific papers into plain English.
• Dog's Ass Plots (DAPs).
• On the lookout for DAPs!
• Evidence of design in a genome.
• Signs of selfish DNA.
• Monty Python guards Expelled.

Politics and science:

• Conservative government versus basic research.
• "Basic research is the lifeline of practical advances".
  
• Nature on the plight of Canadian science.
• Acceptance of evolution in Canada.
• Acceptance of evolution in Canada, again.
• On framing.
• On speciesism.

Personal:

• How much good can one blog post do?
• Remembrance Day.
• Am I a MacGregor?
• 235 years in Canada.
• Dr. Genome in Okinawa.

________

1) Dear American friends: you will have to get used to my colourful Canadian spellings, for which I make no apology!

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