What if human consciousness isn’t the end-all and be-all of Darwinism? What if we are all just pawns in corn’s clever strategy game, the ultimate prize of which is world domination? Author Michael Pollan asks us to see things from a plant’s-eye view — to consider the possibility that nature isn’t opposed to culture, that biochemistry rivals intellect as a survival tool. By merely shifting our perspective, he argues, we can heal the Earth. Who’s the more sophisticated species now? Continue reading Michael Pollan: The omnivore’s next dilemma
Daily Archives: February 15, 2008
George Dyson: Let’s take a nuclear-powered rocket to Saturn
George Dyson tells the amazing story of Project Orion, a massive, nuclear-powered spacecraft that could have taken us to Saturn in five years. With a priceless insider’s perspective and a cache of documents, photos and film, Dyson brings this dusty Atomic Age dream to vivid life. Continue reading George Dyson: Let’s take a nuclear-powered rocket to Saturn
Evolution: The Mind’s Big Bang
Evolution: The Mind’s Big BangI’ve known Shea for years … since before grad school. Going out drinking with this guy was a little dangerous. Almost as dangerous as going out drinking with me.
Artificial and Natural Selection in Cosmos
A classic:
In Linux, you can…
Choose from a very wide range of software in certain application areas. For instance, the range of text editors and HTML editors is larger than in other systems. I’m comparing the free Linux applications to the non-free Windows applications. If you count only free applications on both systems, the difference is even greater. Continue reading In Linux, you can…
Florida Poll: Only 22 percent say teach evolution only
A survey conducted by the St. Petersburg Times shows that half of the respondents want “only faith-based theories such as creationism or intelligent design” taught in public school classrooms, and only 22 percent want evolution-only life science curriculum.
Continue reading Florida Poll: Only 22 percent say teach evolution only
Charles Darwin – Notebooks
Darwin published hundreds of pages of text, but he also kept notebooks many of which come down to us today. They can be roughly divided into two aspects, the Beagle field notebooks of 1831 – 1836, and his later notes. Sometimes these notes are found in a single book, and one way they are told apart (when otherwise undated) is by the orientation of the notes themselves. Darwin wrote “portrait” style in the field, but “landscape” style in the lab. Continue reading Charles Darwin – Notebooks