Charles Darwin proposed "natural selection" as the means by which new creatures evolve. The question then became, what does nature select? The reigning consensus is that nature selects individuals with genetic mutations, and that this eventually leads to the development of new life forms.

The theory of human evolution is taking yet another hit from recent scientific studies, from the first analysis of the Neandertal genome to painstakingly reconstructed Ardipithicus ramidus and Australopithecus sediba remains. The profusion of evolutionarily bias in media reports, however, can make it tricky to uncover the real evidence.

In May 2010, researchers announced the completion of a draft sequence for the Neandertal genome. Provocative images of ape-like humans adorned newspaper and magazine articles, playing up the evolutionary story that humans descended from chimpanzee-like creatures.

Scientists claim they have successfully created "synthetic life" for the first time. In a 15-year project, a team led by genomics pioneer Craig Venter synthesized DNA from inanimate chemicals. Headlines through several news agencies announced they had created a living cell, but what exactly did these researchers accomplish?

It is fascinating how quickly human babies learn about the world around them. But how soon can they distinguish "good" from "bad"? Some Yale psychologists wanted to find out, and their research results fly in the face of Freud and other evolutionary humanists.