Today is the 198th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth and the 148th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species. So take some time out today to celebrate Darwin Day and the body of scientific work from him and others that makes up what we know about evolution.
If your knowledge of Darwin and his work is skimpy, consider picking up David Quammen's The Reluctant Mr. Darwin for a highly enjoyable and insightful introduction. Or if you are in the Boston area, consider visiting the excellent Darwin exhibit that will open February 18th at the Museum of Science.
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wiscidea Posted 4:32 am
12 Feb 2007
My question(s) for each of you...
Will we, like cockroaches, manage to survive for millions of years as the planet changes?
Or...
Are we one of the species that cockroaches will watch rise and fall?
Forward!
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Biodiversivist Posted 5:27 am
12 Feb 2007
Got the Reluctant Mr. Darwin just yesterday as a belated Christmas gift. Another book to add to the list is Darwin's Daughter, written by his great grandson.
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
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caniscandida Posted 5:47 am
12 Feb 2007
Cockroaches seem to have been doing something right for 350 million years. Apparently there is a real fossil record of them going back that far. But that is not to say that speciation has not been taking place all along, even if with respect to appearance, phenotype, they are not easily distinguished by non-specialists. E.g., today in the US, two species appear in homes as "vermin": the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), and the German cockroach (Blatella germanica). The latter tends locally to be much more numerous than the former; also, it is smaller. More important, not only are the species separate, but they belong to different families, the former to Blattidae, the latter to Blattellidae. And yet most Americans think they are all the same, and that an American cockroach (aka "waterbug," "palmetto bug") is just a large example of the German cockroach.
I am very glad to be reminded that Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin share a birthday, i.e. today.
Not inappropriately, in today's New York Times, there is a Science article on an ethical/academic subject that I find interesting: Is it ethical for a creationist to get a legitimate degree in biology or geology from a prestigious secular university, and then to go forth and teach creationism and intelligent design as though he represented acceptable scientific opinions endorsed by the department from which he got his degree? (She/she/her too, though I do not believe any women have been found doing this.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/12/science/12geologist.htm ...
Chickens are our cousins!
So are other sensitive animals!
Enough is enough!
No more factory farms!
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wiscidea Posted 6:32 am
12 Feb 2007
"Is it ethical for a creationist to get a legitimate degree in biology or geology from a prestigious secular university, and then to go forth and teach creationism and intelligent design as though he represented acceptable scientific opinions endorsed by the department from which he got his degree?"
He should be free to get the degree, but it would be pure dishonesty for him to claim the degree-granting department considered creationism and intelligent design acceptable scientific opinions. You did say it was a "prestigious secular university". Regardless of his religious affiliation, there is probably a religious law that forbids lying.
Mr. Ross is clearly a bit smarmy, but I have to give him some credit for pursuing the degree. He has made some attempt to understand his oponent's view. He exposed himself to information that might have undermined his religious faith. I'm rather surprised he could get the advanced degree and still hold on so tightly to his young Earth beliefs. Not necessarily a positive endorsement of the university's courses or requirements for a degree!
Any attempt to prevent individuals like Mr. Ross from pursuing certain science degrees would likely backfire by further driving a wedge between science and religious fundamentalists.
I would say a greater problem is the tendency for religious fundamentalists -- or any other fundamentalist -- to isolate themselves from contradictory information. Indeed, universities should encourage them to enroll in courses about geological history, evolution, et cetera. The fundamentalists might find out the science actually makes sense.
I would go so far as to dare a religious fundamentalist to study evolution with an open mind. It will shake their world view.
Forward!
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caniscandida Posted 5:27 pm
12 Feb 2007
On "a religious law that forbids lying": Ha. You are right, of course, almost every moral code forbids lying. And yet, we manage to do it, all the time. Lying is our favorite sin. Nay, it is fairly necessary, else civilization would crumble.
You write:
<<
I'm rather surprised he could get the advanced degree and still hold on so tightly to his young Earth beliefs. Not necessarily a positive endorsement of the university's courses or requirements for a degree!
>>
That is a very good observation. Why did his prohibitive religious beliefs not emerge earlier, during his course work? Why did his examination questions not identify him as an anti-scientist?
And that is what he is, an anti-scientist. Degrees from universities are not really documents telling us how much work a student has done, and what kind of work that person is prepared to do. They do indeed tell us that kind of information. But more important, they tell us something significant about what the degreed person really sincerely believes.
If you have a Ph.D. in geology from Penn State, say, that means not only that you are in control of all kinds of geologic knowledge and methodologies. It also means that you "profess" that science; you sincerely believe that that science tells us something significant about the universe. And by the same token, a "young Earth" cosmology would be a violation of what you personally, morally, considerately, devotedly believe in.
Chickens are our cousins!
So are other sensitive animals!
Enough is enough!
No more factory farms!
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