Horsey, horsey, don't you stop

RECEIVED wisdom, among both scientists and breeders, is that a modern, thoroughbred racehorse runs about as fast as it is possible for anything horse-shaped to run. Examinations of historical records, conducted over the past few years, have concluded that winning times have stagnated. Undermining received wisdom, though, is one of the most enjoyable pursuits in science. And, in a paper just published in Biology Letters, Patrick Sharman and Alastair Wilson of the University of Exeter, in England,...