Sunday, December 28, 2008 | Reason : In the News | print version

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Darwin's dangerous idea: Top 10 evolution articles

by New Scientist

Thanks to Vaal for the link.

150 years after Darwin proposed it, evolution by natural selection continues to be both a battleground and a hotbed of ideas.

Scientists continue to respond to the latest attacks from creationists, and at the same time propose profound new ideas about evolution. This year has seen perceptions of the virus change from disease-causing villain to evolutionary hero, and the emergence of a new force of evolution - the absence of natural selection.

Since its redesign in November, NewScientist.com is making the last 12 months' of articles free for everyone to read. Here, in case you missed them, are our top 10 in-depth articles about evolution.

Click here to continue:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16322-darwins-dangerous-idea-top-10-evolution-articles.html

Posted: Sunday, December 28, 2008 | Permalink

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1. Comment #307878 by crusader234 on December 28, 2008 at 7:39 pm

amen. thank god for evolulution...

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2. Comment #307880 by Fuller on December 28, 2008 at 7:56 pm

Sweet, I gots me somes readins to do

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3. Comment #307882 by mordacious1 on December 28, 2008 at 8:07 pm

Nice to have all these great articles in one place, thanks Vaal.

I'm through 5 so far, I really liked "Viruses: The Unsung Heroes".

Too bad cretinists do not read these type or articles, (Palin voice) "Readin's hard".

Other Comments by mordacious1

4. Comment #307884 by Godfree Gordon on December 28, 2008 at 8:23 pm

Creative

Also thank evolution for God...

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5. Comment #307885 by crusader234 on December 28, 2008 at 8:41 pm

fodgree nordog the names croatiner

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6. Comment #307888 by Virgil on December 28, 2008 at 9:17 pm

Great stuff, although are the first few still locked? The rest seem ok.

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7. Comment #307895 by ksskidude on December 28, 2008 at 10:12 pm

Is there a chance anyone can download these articles and rewrite them? But this time, write for the reading ablity of a 2nd grader. That way my creationist friends might actully begin to understand them.

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8. Comment #307900 by Dhamma on December 28, 2008 at 10:59 pm

Ksskidude,

Please, don't offend 2nd graders' reading abilities.

Thank you.

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9. Comment #307903 by Sarmatae1 on December 28, 2008 at 11:40 pm

ksskidude

Yeah really Dhamma is right. Why all the hostility toward 2nd graders. Pretty harsh. If there are any 2nd graders reading here you may be put into the troll thread. I'd apologize. Thats just me though. You don't hafta. Lol. I crack me up, I'm funny.

Funny how? I mean what's funny about me?

You know, just funny.

Let me understand this. Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm a little fucked up maybe. I'm funny how? I'm funny like a clown. I amuse you? I make you laugh. I'm here to fucking amuse you. What do ya mean funny? Funny how. How am I funny. Tell me.

Sorry watching "Goodfellas" again.

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10. Comment #307911 by petermun on December 29, 2008 at 12:48 am

One of my great hopes for 2009 is that when we speak of Palin we all again think primarily of Michael. Let's hope common sense consigns Sarah firmly to the bin of history.

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11. Comment #307914 by AllanW on December 29, 2008 at 1:08 am

Well petermun I do understand the sentiment but hope Sarah Palin stays in the collective consciousness for a long time in exactly the way she seems to now; as a constant reminder that wilful ignorance coupled with arrogant religious bigotry can be very, very dangerous.

As far as the article is concerned, looks like I got a lot more reading to do! Thanks for recommending this Vaal and thanks to Josh for putting it up.

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12. Comment #307921 by mordacious1 on December 29, 2008 at 1:57 am

Ah, nothing like having to get up at 2 A.M. to clean up dog barf. Oh well.

Comment #307911 by petermun

Erm...I'm still posting on the Sarah Palin thread, must get making fun of her out of system. No one else posts there anymore *sigh*.

Back to bed.

Other Comments by mordacious1

13. Comment #307956 by Vadjong on December 29, 2008 at 5:36 am

Great stuff !

Also: another Courtier's Reply of our own.
Or perhaps: a quote miner's dream come true.

Anyhoo, I'll enjoy it for myself first, thank you.

Other Comments by Vadjong

14. Comment #307968 by RedPen on December 29, 2008 at 7:28 am

One of the most interesting articles is about why evolution does not undermine morality. It's a common myth peddled by those silly creationists. But isn't is more worthwhile to point out that even if evolution did undermind morality, that it wouldn't matter? Emotional appeals are useless. They have no bearing on the truth value of anything.

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15. Comment #307971 by DamnDirtyApe on December 29, 2008 at 7:36 am

I freaking love that sea slug. It splices, it dices, its a million organisms in one!

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16. Comment #307999 by xmd on December 29, 2008 at 8:43 am

Ah, goodie

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17. Comment #308004 by xmd on December 29, 2008 at 8:50 am

From The article about viruses:
"Most virologists no longer believe that viruses derived from host genome sequences, but instead that they arose as independent life forms, probably prior to bacteria,"

gasp...

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18. Comment #308013 by robotaholic on December 29, 2008 at 9:12 am

Why do atheists keep saying "thank god"'

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19. Comment #308014 by purbrookian on December 29, 2008 at 9:21 am

robot, one good thing that religion has provided: a few good oaths. As Bill Bryson remarked on seeing a "Christ is the Answer" bumper sticker, 'And here's the question: what do you say when you hit your thumb with a hammer?'

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20. Comment #308016 by Diacanu on December 29, 2008 at 9:27 am

robotaholic-

Why do atheists keep saying "thank god"'''

To piss in your cornflakes.

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21. Comment #308072 by Vaal on December 29, 2008 at 11:22 am

Excellent resource, and a great rebuttal to the same old circular tripe we have to argue against on this site with inescapable, tedious regularity.

What a shame the first 2 articles the reader has to be a member of New Scientist. I couldn't find them elsewhere unfortunately.

I am looking forward to all the new advances by science in 2009, especially the LHC, providing Yahweh doesn't break it again :(

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22. Comment #308092 by robotaholic on December 29, 2008 at 12:21 pm

what do you say when you hit your thumb with a hammer

well, purbrookian I don't say 'thank god'...ouch comes to mind...

Diacanu

To piss in your cornflakes.

lol

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23. Comment #308148 by ChicagoMolly on December 29, 2008 at 2:36 pm

When people say "thank god" in my presence I like to reply "you're welcome". Makes them blink.

For most of his adult life Bucky Fuller was on a quixotic quest to get us all to say "sunsight" and "sunclipse" in place of "sunrise" and "sunset". I mean come on, guys, the sun doesn't rise, the earth spins!!! Some memes are just better replicators than others; it matters not that they're meaningless.

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24. Comment #349662 by Peacebeuponme on March 6, 2009 at 12:22 pm

I don't know whether any of my fellow brits watched the "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" programme by Andrew Marr yesterday.

I just watched it using sky plus and thought it was terrible. Clunky production, a loose and sensationalist interpretation of history and devoid of anything of real interest.

I fail to see how it would have helped the casual viewer get to grips with evolutionary theory and its impact.

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25. Comment #349667 by alan baylis on March 6, 2009 at 12:46 pm

Peace, I fully endorse that view. I think Marr came over as overblown and egotistical. Still it's a three part-er so hopefully it may improve.

By contrast I was pleasantly surprised by the other three part-er "Darwin's Garden" which proceeded it. I liked how the presenter gave little quarter to god.

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26. Comment #349671 by hayesky on March 6, 2009 at 1:00 pm

Strange the book by Dennett called Darwin's Dangerous Idea was really good, full of information. I wonder if this program you speak of has anything to do with the book by same name.

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27. Comment #349806 by Peacebeuponme on March 7, 2009 at 4:36 am

alan baylis

Yes, will have to cross fingers for the second two parts. I missed Darwin's Garden, but wonder if I can find it on the web somewhere.

hayesky

The programme appeared unrelated to Dennett and didn't mention him at all. However, it covered a lot of ground that his book of the same name did (albeit with zero depth) which is a little strange.

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