I keep running into this “aquatic ape” theory. First from one of my dad’s ham-radio friends, then in Real Food, and now from Seth Roberts. I just finished Freakonomics (which, by the way, was rather lackluster compared to Malcolm Gladwell’s works of similar style) and decided to investigate this guy up in a fit of procrastination. The book mentions his self-experimentation and his discovery of the Shangri-La “diet” (it’s not technically a way of eating), a little fishy, but his blog is dedicated to the pursuit of amateur science. The discussion in the comments of the aquatic ape post is intelligent and surprisingly civil, considering the debate is about whether or not humans evolved from water-dwelling primates. It’s less wacky than it sounds, but the theory doesn’t exactly — excuse me — hold water.

On the other hand, one of his commenters suggests that boys do better than girls in interactive classrooms: “Boys do best in classes where they can move around and don’t have to be quiet. Girls do better in the traditional format– sit at your desk and listen quietly to the teacher.” I feel like I need to find a phone booth and a Feminist Superhero costume… all I need is research to back up my visceral objections. There’s just no way boys are genetically predisposed to have more fun!

I’ll console myself with wishful thinking.

Fact of the day: Dumbledore is an Old English word for bumblebee.