"A self-styled form of Darwinian fundamentalism has risen to some prominence in a variety of fields, from the English biological heartland of John Maynard Smith to the uncompromising ideology (albeit in graceful prose) of his compatriot Richard Dawkins, to the equally narrow and more ponderous writing of the American philosopher Daniel Dennett . . . . - Stephen Jay Gould, "Darwinian Fundamentalism," The New York Review of Books.
Well, Barbara Forrest did not actually write the guide, but there are stylistic similarities. It comes close to matching her creative genius, her inimitable degree of logical rigor, and her amazing gift for understanding beliefs very different from her own deeply held religious convictions. Have a look at the guide . . . HERE.
posted by Lawrence Selden @ 9:40 AM
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Wonderful Life by Stephen Jay Gould is a fascinating book. I will likely be blogging through it over the next few weeks. Here are some choice quotes about the importance of the fossils of the Cambrian era and why so many people know nothing about them:
Without hesitation or ambiguity . . . I state that the invertebrates of the Burgess Shale, found high in the Canadian Rockies in Yoho National Park, on the eastern border of British Columbia, are the world's most important animal fossils. Modern multicellular animals make their first uncontested appearance in the fossil record some 570 milllion years ago--and with a bang, not a protracted crescendo. This "Cambrian explosion" marks the advent (at least into direct evidence) of virtually all major groups of modern animals--and all within the minuscule span, geologically speaking, of a few million years. pp. 23-24 (bold emphasis mime).
I grapple with the enigma of why such a fundamental program of research has been permitted to pass so invisibly before the public gaze. Why is Opabinia, key animal in a new view of life, not a household name in all domiciles that care about the riddles of existence? p. 24
posted by Lawrence Selden @ 1:20 PM
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Leave it to Biever, Celeste Biever that is, to amuse us with her spy game antics and her email blunders. Here is a post evaluating the quality of her previous reporting on evolution/ID issues.
posted by Lawrence Selden @ 3:05 PM
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I am a macroevolution agnostic. I used to accept evolutionary theory. Then I looked at the evidence. It became clear to me that macroevolutionary theory is built more on a priori philosophical assumptions than on evidence. Microevolution, on the other hand, is supported by the evidence. The distinction between the two is critical and is largely ignored, or not understood, by the mainstream media and general public.
