Author: Denyse O’Leary

Ancient footprint embedded in earth, showing detail of toes and sole

^{Type
post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
November 14, 2025

Categories
Genetics
Human Origins and Anthropology
Paleontology
Tagged
, arithmetic, DNA, egg cells, footprints, Homo sapiens, James Woodford, modern humans, Monte Clérigo, Neanderthals, New Scientist, obstetrics, Patrick Eppenberger, PIEZO1, population disparities, sperm, stillbirths, Switzerland, University of Seville, University of Zurich}

The Neanderthal Story Keeps Evolving (Even if Nothing Else Does)

_{Denyse O’Leary
November 14, 2025

Genetics, Human Origins and Anthropology, Paleontology

5}

The University of Seville announces that Neanderthal footprints found along Portugal’s Algarve coast have led to unexpected insights about Neanderthal culture. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
November 14, 2025

Categories
Evolution
Human Origins and Anthropology
Tagged
, Akkadians, archaeologists, archaeology, art, Bible, Carly Cassella, cave art, caves, Darwinian paradigm, Darwinism, elephant bird, evolution, fire, Hittites, human origins, immigrations, King Tut, Neanderthals, Paul Pettitt, Rosetta Stone, Science Alert, subhumans, Sumerians, The Conversation, University of Durham}

Perhaps Neanderthals Never Truly Went Extinct

_{Denyse O’Leary
November 14, 2025

Evolution, Human Origins and Anthropology

5}

A critical part of the original tale of the Neanderthals is that, because they were stupid, we smarter, more evolved modern humans finished them off. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
November 13, 2025

Categories
Astronomy
Planetology
Tagged
, 3I/ATLAS, alien technology, artificial intelligence, arXiv, astrobiology, astronomers, Avi Loeb, Big Think, Columbia University, David Kipping, extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial light sail, George Gaylord Simpson, interstellar object, Medium, Oumuamua, technology, UFOs, Voyager spacecraft}

Astrobiology as a Secular Quest for Meaning

_{Denyse O’Leary
November 13, 2025

Astronomy, Planetology

7}

I don’t think this stuff does any harm — as long as it is understood as drama and not given undue importance in science or philosophy. Read More ›

Expérience de mort imminente autrement appelé EMI

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post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
November 12, 2025

Categories
Medicine
Neuroscience & Mind
Tagged
, brain, clarity, confusion, Daily Mail, endorphins, enkephalins, geometry, hypoxia, jesus, Ken Drinkwater, ketamine, Manchester Metropolitan University, Michael Egnor, mind, near-death experiences, Neil Shaw, neuroscience, Olaf Blanke, oxygen, Pam Reynolds, psychology, Sebastian Dieguez, soul, The Immortal Mind, veridical, Wiliam Hunter}

Near-Death Experiences: Explaining vs. Explaining Away

_{Denyse O’Leary
November 12, 2025

Medicine, Neuroscience & Mind

6}

The first rule of a scientific approach should be to take seriously what is happening before rushing in with a “science can explain this” hypothesis. Read More ›

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post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
November 11, 2025

Categories
Biology
Evolution
Tagged
, biology, cancel culture, chromosomes, Colin Wright, Federal Government, Houston Christian University, intelligent design, John Jay College, Nancy Pearcey, Nathan Lents, reproductive cells, sex, sex binary, Tina Hesman Saey, White House}

War Between Evolutionary Biologists May Be Looming

_{Denyse O’Leary
November 11, 2025

Biology, Evolution

5}

Nathan Lents says it doesn’t make a lot of sense” to think of sex in humans as binary. Colin Wright says, “Stop misleading the public.” Read More ›

black swiss army knife on wood color toned

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post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
November 7, 2025

Categories
Evolution
Human Origins and Anthropology
Tagged
, biology, culture, Euripides, evolution, Frances Forrest, George Washington University, Homer, hominins, human beings, human origins, Kenya, Nature Communications, Niguss Baraki, Pliocene, Science Daily, Swiss Army knives, technology, tools, Turkana Basin}

“First Multi-Purpose ‘Swiss Army Knives’ Made by Hominins”

_{Denyse O’Leary
November 7, 2025

Evolution, Human Origins and Anthropology

5}

The tools date from about 2.75 through 2.44 million years ago (Pliocene). They underwent little change over the years, despite the changing environment. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
November 6, 2025

Categories
Human Exceptionalism
Human Origins and Anthropology
Tagged
, Ardales, brain, Bruniquel cave, Cantabria, cave art, Durham University, Extremadura, France, handprints, history, installation art, La Pasiega, La Roche Cotard, Loire Valley, Malaga, Maltravieso, materialists, mind, modern humans, Neanderthal art, Neanderthals, Palaeolithic cave art, Paul Pettit, pencil drawings, pigments, Spain, stalactites}

Could Neanderthals Create Art, or Were They Not Evolved Enough?

_{Denyse O’Leary
November 6, 2025

Human Exceptionalism, Human Origins and Anthropology

2}

Materialists have long sought to show that Neanderthals were less mentally evolved than modern humans. Read More ›

Helping hands, care for the elderly concept

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post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
November 5, 2025

Categories
Faith & Science
Neuroscience & Mind
Tagged
, brain, Charles Murray, cognitive psychologists, Coming Apart, Jesse Bering, materialism, modernism, Nancy Pearcey, post-modernism, Richard Dawkins, soul, Steven Pinker, Taking Religion Seriously, terminal lucidity, Threshold, verbal communication, Wall Street Journal}

As Evidence of a Soul, Charles Murray and Steven Pinker Debate Terminal Lucidity

_{Denyse O’Leary
November 5, 2025

Faith & Science, Neuroscience & Mind

7}

Pinker himself is fresh from getting a book tour Canceled by a humanist group. He’s apparently not one of the atheist heroes any more. Read More ›

science laboratory test tubes , lab equipment for research new medical

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post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
November 2, 2025

Categories
Chemistry
Neuroscience & Mind
Scientific Freedom
Tagged
, Anna Krylov, atheism, brains, cancel culture, censorship, diversity, Heterodox STEM, humans, inclusion, mammals, materialism, Nature (journal), Popular Science, private truth, reproductive organs, Richard Dawkins, sex binary, Steven Pinker}

When Science Degenerates into a Spoils System

_{Denyse O’Leary
November 2, 2025

Chemistry, Neuroscience & Mind, Scientific Freedom

5}

Chemistry professor Anna Krylov forces us to look at that in discouraging detail. Read More ›

Intricate details of an antique pocket watch mechanism showcasing gears and springs in close-up

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post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
October 28, 2025

Categories
Evolution
Intelligent Design
Tagged
, __trending, artificial intelligence, bias, Discovery Institute, Elon Musk, encyclopedias, facts, fine-tuning, Grok, Grokipedia, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, intelligent design, Jarvis, Larry Sanger, Nine Theses, philosophy of science, pseudoscience, Reece Rogers, think tank, United States, Wikipedia, William Dembski, Wired}

On Intelligent Design, Wikipedia Hedges, While Grokipedia Tells (Whoa!) the Truth

_{Denyse O’Leary
October 28, 2025

Evolution, Intelligent Design

5}

There is still plenty of time for Grok to be infiltrated by all kinds of bias and it would certainly be wise to keep checking back. Read More ›