The RNA world hypothesis proposes that early life was based on RNA, which subsequently devolved the storage of information to more stable DNA, and catalytic functions to more versatile proteins.

Natural selection uses duplicated genes as raw material for functional innovation, co-opting their existing features to new functions. Understanding genetic innovation requires two questions to be ...

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Khadija Khartit is a strategy, investment, and funding expert, and an educator of fintech ...

Executive function describes a set of cognitive processes and mental skills that help an individual plan, monitor, and successfully execute their goals. The “executive functions,” as they’re known, ...

Jeanne Gobat is a Senior Economist in the IMF’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department. Opinions expressed in articles and other materials are those of the authors; they do not necessarily reflect ...