What is happening in your area? Here in New Mexico, we got an early start on Wednesday 11th with a splendid talk by Anne Weaver, author of the young reader's book "Voyage of the Beetle," and an avid evolution educator. Anne explained that most people of the time were mired in "Essentialism" - the idea that all things, including species, are immutable, unchanging "essences." She explained that Darwin came to realize that it was the individuals who stayed the same for most of their life, and had children that shared their characteristics. Between individuals of the same species, however, there can be a lot of variation. Species are not immutable; individuals vary; it is populations that evolve, as natural selection shapes the aggregate gene pool.
Of course, biology has advanced tremendously since Darwin's publication of the Origin; but this cautious naturalist got the Big Idea right, and for that he is rightly celebrated.
If you're in New Mexico, there are Darwin Day events this week at UNM (Albuquerque), NM Tech (Socorro) and those Freethinkers. I'll be talking about the Age of the Earth Friday 13th, in Socorro- come on down! I'll be discussing how I helped Professor Steve Steve disprove creationist flood theory.
What is everyone doing to commemorate the day?Darwin Day has Arrived!
On this auspicious occasion - the 200th birthday of English naturalist Charles Darwin - hundreds of groups around the world are pausing to celebrate his accomplishments and his impact upon science and society. Darwin has been featured in numerous magazine , internet and televised specials.
What is happening in your area? Here in New Mexico, we got an early start on Wednesday 11th with a splendid talk by Anne Weaver, author of the young reader's book "Voyage of the Beetle," and an avid evolution educator. Anne explained that most people of the time were mired in "Essentialism" - the idea that all things, including species, are immutable, unchanging "essences." She explained that Darwin came to realize that it was the individuals who stayed the same for most of their life, and had children that shared their characteristics. Between individuals of the same species, however, there can be a lot of variation. Species are not immutable; individuals vary; it is populations that evolve, as natural selection shapes the aggregate gene pool.
Of course, biology has advanced tremendously since Darwin's publication of the Origin; but this cautious naturalist got the Big Idea right, and for that he is rightly celebrated.
If you're in New Mexico, there are Darwin Day events this week at UNM (Albuquerque), NM Tech (Socorro) and those Freethinkers. I'll be talking about the Age of the Earth Friday 13th, in Socorro- come on down! I'll be discussing how I helped Professor Steve Steve disprove creationist flood theory.
What is everyone doing to commemorate the day?
What is happening in your area? Here in New Mexico, we got an early start on Wednesday 11th with a splendid talk by Anne Weaver, author of the young reader's book "Voyage of the Beetle," and an avid evolution educator. Anne explained that most people of the time were mired in "Essentialism" - the idea that all things, including species, are immutable, unchanging "essences." She explained that Darwin came to realize that it was the individuals who stayed the same for most of their life, and had children that shared their characteristics. Between individuals of the same species, however, there can be a lot of variation. Species are not immutable; individuals vary; it is populations that evolve, as natural selection shapes the aggregate gene pool.
Of course, biology has advanced tremendously since Darwin's publication of the Origin; but this cautious naturalist got the Big Idea right, and for that he is rightly celebrated.
If you're in New Mexico, there are Darwin Day events this week at UNM (Albuquerque), NM Tech (Socorro) and those Freethinkers. I'll be talking about the Age of the Earth Friday 13th, in Socorro- come on down! I'll be discussing how I helped Professor Steve Steve disprove creationist flood theory.
What is everyone doing to commemorate the day?
13 Comments
Dave Hone · 12 February 2009
We opened an exhibit on Darwin and evolutionary theory today here in Beijing at the IVPP. I'll be blogging about it when I get home thins evening (which is only a couple of hours away for me). Hopefully just one of many around the world.
Dean Morrison · 12 February 2009
Darwin day has arrived here in the UK and its a lovely sunny day where I am! Happy Birthday Chuck!
Angel · 12 February 2009
In Raleigh North Carolina we have a speaker coming to our museum to speak on the topic of evolution. I just happen to be taking evolution as a class now. If I write an essay on this speech I can skip an assignment. Hopefully I will also blog about the speech if I make it there.
Mark Farmer · 12 February 2009
Happy 200 Chuck!
And if you are in Georgia please join us for Darwin Day at UGA
www.uga.edu/darwinday
Alec · 12 February 2009
Meanwhile, over at UD they are celebrating Darwin Day by showing that they can't even quote-mine competently. In today's post 'Frustrating "Evolution" Polls', the quote at the end attributed to Stephen Jay Gould ("No wonder paleontologists shied away from evolution for so long. It never seems to happen. ... etc.") is actually taken from Niles Eldredge. (See http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/quotes/mine/part3.html#quote3.13).
Deen · 12 February 2009
With a little amateur photoshopping. Happy Darwin day :)
Frank J · 12 February 2009
I saw some excellent presentations by Ken Miller, Jerry Coyne and others at Penn.
John Nernoff · 13 February 2009
NPR had a story this evening (2-13-09) on a (sigh, yet again) creationist teacher named "Pennington" who wants to teach his students "critical thinking" in science. He mentioned Ernest Haeckel's "faked" embryo drawings, I guess this teacher seeks to disprove the entire theory of evolution based on some errors made by a 19th century scientist, in no way relied upon by Darwin in formulating his theory published some 15 years prior to Haeckel. The primitives in a former slave state continue to rely on the Buy-Bull for their science.
Jason Wise · 13 February 2009
I'm a New Mexico Tech alum, and it's nice to know that stuff is happening there. Thanks for speaking!
Frank J · 14 February 2009
Frank J · 14 February 2009
Link didn't work. 2nd try: Index to Creationist Claims.
Chas · 21 February 2009
"But of course no anti-evolution activist would dare use that book, because they don’t advocate true critical thinking."
What we don't advocate is historical speculation. The debate is about history, not science. You can call it critical thinking, but it's guessing what happened in history. Most people disagree about the last 2000 years of written history. Imagine those distortions times 1 million.
Dave Thomas · 22 February 2009