Practical Evolution: weed species part 1
The first part of the first article on Practical Evolution by John Hawks:
posted on: 10 July 2008
posted on: 23 June 2008
Notes in practical evolution
“ I'm going to start a series of articles about the common sense aspect of evolutionary theory. What about evolution is actually practical knowledge? How can it help people understand things relevant to their own work or lives? This goes beyond the gee-whiz, “Where do we come from”, National Geographic-kind of interesting question. That's nothing more than a framework for idle curiosity: it presents evolution as a kind of adjunct or substitute for religious inquiry. I want to convey something more important. It matters that we evolved. The process of evolution allows scientific predictions that we can use to make things happen, to make them work. Evolutionary biology illustrates and informs us about decisions that society will have to make in the next 20 years; decisions that I want my students to be informed about. When I teach evolution, I emphasize a common sense perspective. Understanding a science means knowing the boundaries of the possible.”
John Hawks will publish on his blog an essay every Friday on evolution with a common sense perspective. Very interesting.
posted on: 09 February 2008
On the Origin of Species
“ 150 years ago, Charles Darwin unveiled his theory of natural selection. To mark this anniversary we bring you the definitive guide to the naturalist's great book, with extracts from key chapters and essays from leading scientists and thinkers.”
posted on: 14 January 2008
Algorithmic Inelegance
“ Complexity in living things is a product of the lack of direction in evolutionary processes, of the accumulation of fortuitous accidents, rather than the product of design.”
posted on: 29 March 2007
The rise of mammals
“ The mass extinction that wiped out dinosaurs and other life 65 million years ago apparently did not, contrary to conventional wisdom, immediately clear the way for the rise of today's mammals.”
posted on: 17 March 2007
Evolution and mountains
Two articles on Nature:
“ Most people tend to think of the tropics as the hottest scene on the planet when it comes to spawning new life. But Canadian zoologists have found that it is actually the world's temperate zones where new species evolve and become extinct the fastest.”
Life is faster in the temperate zone
“ A three-dimensional model of our planet's plate tectonics could help to explain why the Andes mountain range is taller than geologists would predict: it could all be down to the long length of the South American continent.”