Over the years, the mysteriously rapid way in which humans learn language has given scientists a lot to talk about.

Imagine what you could do if you could shine light through a wall. OK, maybe not much, unless you’re a stage magician. But suppose you could shine light all the way through the Earth. Now you’ve got a communication system that would make WiFi seem like tin cans and a string.

Seeking immortality, as many writers have warned, is not such a good idea. There are too many negatives. Your friends will all die, you’ll have to cope with global warming, and your Social Security payments will surely run out sooner or later.

Time is nature’s way of keeping everything from happening all at once, as Woody Allen became famous for saying.

For evolution to produce complicated forms of life, offspring must resemble their parents.

Experimenting with drugs is bad, of course — unless you have a control group and conduct a proper statistical analysis.

Not so long ago, college students used to think that the way to understanding the mind more deeply was with the famous hallucinogenic drug LSD. And maybe they were right.

Insects are not very good at avoiding collisions with cars.

Before getting too deeply into the new year, it’s always a good idea to look ahead and prepare for remembrance of deserving events.

Human brains are capable of amazing things, including, perhaps, figuring out why human brains are so capable.