On: How did two groups of fish separately evolve genes...

[dmckeon]

Why? This is science reporting, not tabloid journalism. We don’t need to know the marital status, gender preference, dietary restrictions, previous relationships, etc. Good writing about science is plenty. And “spouse” is a fine word if needed.

[Simon_says → dmckeon]

I agree with you, but then why bring it up at all?

[Qwertystop → Simon_says]

They didn't bring it up.

> What sort of partner? Research partner, clearly.

The fact that the two happen also to be married need not be related to the use of the word.

[flukus → dmckeon]

> We don’t need to know the marital status, gender preference, dietary restrictions, previous relationships, etc.

I agree, but a lot of science reporting and especially TV/movie documentaries are going down the path of "telling a story" and focusing more on the process and characters involved rather than facts. This is particularly true from outlets like the Atlantic, so if GP went in with the expectation of that kind of article I can understand how they got confused.