Questions answered by CBS faculty
- What’s the next alternative energy source?
Try sewage…
Daniel Bond, BioTechnology Institute
- Is it true that mushroom DNA more closely resembles human DNA than it does plant DNA?
Yes, it is true…
David McLaughlin, Professor, Plant Biology and Curator of Fungi, Bell Museum of Natural History
- Why are robins’ eggs blue?
This seems like a straightforward question, but…
Dr. Robert M. Zink, Breckenridge Chair in Ornithology, Bell Museum
Professor, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
- Why doesn’t the water drain out of our lakes?
The short answer is that it does…
Jim Cotner, Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
- Why does time seem to pass more quickly as we grow older?
While summers were ‘endless’ when we were younger…
Huber R. Warner, Associate Dean for Research, College of Biological Sciences
- What is the evolutionary advantage of altruism?
Human altruism reflects individual choices that are influenced by…
R. Ford Denison, Adjunct Professor, Ecology Evolution and Behavior
- What cues hibernating frogs in temperate climates out of their state of reduced activity?
The ratio of daylight and darkness sends most frogs…
Robert McKinnell, Professor Emeritus of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
- What is love, biologically?
Survival of a sexually reproducing species requires…
Jane Phillips, Associate Director, Biology Program
- Can we repair the damage we’re doing to global ecosystems?
There are many ways that human activities impact…
Joe McFadden, Assistant Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
- How does deforestation of the Amazonian rain forest affect global climate change?
Deforestation of the Amazonian rain forest can affect global climate by releasing…
Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Assistant Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
- How is it possible for the Mississippi River, which originates from a low altitude (about 500m), to flow 4,000 miles across the country?
Actually, the length of the river…
Bob Sterner, Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
- How did cooperative behavior evolve?
Simple question, complicated answer…
David Stephens, Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
- Is instinct another word to describe past life experience?
Instinct may indeed reflect past life experiences…
Craig Packer, Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
- Is life possible in a dry environment?
All organisms on earth need water…
Jane Phillips, Associate Director, Biology Program
- Why do no two people have the same DNA?
The genetic information in living organisms is encoded using a four-letter alphabet…
Pete Snustad, Professor, Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
- When will it be possible for humans to fly?
From an evolutionary perspective, it seems…
Bob Zink, Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
- Will we ever speak to dolphins?
That depends on what you mean by “speak,”…
Mark Bee, Assistant Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
- How do birds survive in a tornado or severely high winds?
Not surprisingly, there isn’t a wealth of research information…
Scott Lanyon, Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
- Why can parakeets mimic human language while other animals do not?
In many animal species, vocalizations simply aren’t learned…
Scott Lanyon, Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
- If the theory of evolution is true, will animals that haven’t evolved as far as humans still evolve into humans?
Excellent question. The answer is…
Scott Lanyon, Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
- How long has the AIDS virus been on the planet?
AIDS is caused by either of two viruses…
Pete Magee, Professor, Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
- Where will penguins go when the icebergs melt?
It depends on the penguin…
Bob Zink, Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
- Why do ducks and geese fly in a V formation?
These birds are just doing the avian equivalent of…
Scott Lanyon, Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
- Can we end our dependence on foreign oil?
A major step in that direction could come from growing prairie grasses…
David Tilman, Regents Professor of Ecology
To view more questions and answers, visit Driven to Discover. View list of unanswered questions.
