Michael California, Author at The Escapist

Michael James California is a PhD human geneticist, science communicator, and father. His hobbies include sequencing genomes, weight lifting, and playing video games with his son.

Pokémon evolution biology science epigenetics

Opinion

The Real-World Science That Underlies Pokémon Evolution (and Thunder Stones)

Every generation of the Pokémon games can be defined by its starters. These are the three Pokémon that the player gets to choose ...

By Michael CaliforniaNovember 26, 2019

Ancestors: A Humankind Odyssey evolution Patrice Désilets

Features

How Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey Turns Human Evolution into a Game

As a geneticist, I often think about the way genetics and evolution are represented as components of the narratives and mechanics in games. ...

By Michael CaliforniaOctober 1, 2019

Opinion

Reindeer Rex & the Real Science Behind Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

When you first set foot into Monster Hunter World’s Ancient Forest, you feel like you’ve been transported there. It doesn’t feel like an ...

By Michael CaliforniaSeptember 11, 2019