By studying mitochondrial DNA from samples over 1000 years old to the present, scientists have good evidence that human genetic diverstiy is on the decline. You can see the article from the Royal Society here (a great source of many forms of long term science in general).
“In a study covering five different periods of. . .   Read More

Add England’s Rothamsted Experimental Station to the list of long-term experiments.
“Rothamsted’s Classical experiments are unique in their age and variety, and are, deservedly, world-famous. There are many other experiments on our Rothamsted and Woburn farms that, by conventional standards, can justifiably be described as ‘long-term’. Most of these were. . .   Read More

It just so happens that three of the longest running scientific experiments are located in the foyers of university physics departments. These three long-running tests were first reported as a set in a 1984 article in the European Journal of Physics. One of them, the pitch drop has achieved some internet fame. But it. . .   Read More

The deep past in the remote present

It began on a New Jersey beach. Frans Lanting was photographing horseshoe crabs for a story about how they are being ground up for eel bait and at the same time their blood is used for drug testing—a $100 million industry. The crabs have primordial eyesight, which. . .   Read More

Recursion drives science

The co-founding editor of “Wired” magazine and author of OUT OF CONTROL is working on a new book on “what technology wants.” His research led to the first-ever history of scientific methodology. Starting from this long-term view of science’s past transformation, he speculates on how the practice of. . .   Read More

Finessing the future

Instead of one podium there were four chairs on the stage of Wednesday’s seminar. In three seats, three Dysons: Esther, George and Freeman. They were appearing together on stage for the first time. The fourth held Stewart Brand who led the three through an evening of queries. The questions came from. . .   Read More

Ever longer life

Our germline cells (eggs and sperm) are already immortal. What if the rest of the cells of our body could acquire the same ability? Tissue by tissue, one degenerative disease after another, it could gradually happen in the course of one or two human generations. When it does happen, what we mean. . .   Read More

Mega gardening

Big as life and twice as opinionated, the renowned preservation biologist DANIEL JANZEN spoke for The Long Now on Friday, April 9, 2005. His perspective on preservation may be jarring to some: “It’s ALL Gardening”.

DAN JANZEN is most widely known for his heroic efforts helping set all of Costa Rica on. . .   Read More