Darwin
Category archives for Darwin
Reflections on Darwin’s Origin of Species
Posted by Greg Laden on February 13, 2013 The The Origin Of Species by Charles Darwin was published over 150 years go. At the time, several different alternative theories of the origin and history of life were being discussed in the West. Some of these theories were theological. Theological ideas included a literal translation of the bible, with the flora, the fauna, and…
Darwinism, Darwinian, Darwinist
Posted by Greg Laden on February 12, 2013 
Happy Birthday Charles Darwin! Oh, and Abe Lincoln too. For Darwin’s birthday, I want to discuss the uses of the terms “Darwinism, Darwinian, and Darwinist.” Many have written about this and many don’t like any of those words, some seem to equally dislike all three. A couple of years back, writing for the New York…
Charles Darwin, Geologist
Posted by Greg Laden on February 11, 2013 
Everyone knows that Darwin was a biologist, and in many ways he was the first prominent modern biologist. Though Darwin scholars know this, many people do not realize that he was also a geologist. Really, he was mainly a geologist on the day he stepped foot on The Beagle for his famous five year tour.…
The Autobiography of Charles Darwin Audiobook
Posted by Greg Laden on September 30, 2012 Have you read The Autobiography of Charles Darwin? Do you read, er, listen to audiobooks? If so, did you know about this one? Read by Greg Wagland: This work, unsurprisingly, offers invaluable insights into the life and times of Charles Darwin, his personality and the formative influences that made him what he was, for here…
Charles Darwin, Geologist
Posted by Greg Laden on February 14, 2012 We know that Darwin was a biologist, and in many ways he was the first prominent modern biologist. But many people do not realize that he was also a geologist. Really, he was mainly a geologist on the day he stepped foot on The Beagle for his famous five year tour. This is especially true…
Louis Agassiz + Alexander Agassiz + Charles Darwin + Coral Reefs = High Entertainment and Science!
Posted by Greg Laden on June 2, 2011 There are many fascinating stories linked to the early days of evolutionary biology and geology, and more than one of them is intertwined with our understanding of coral reefs. I had always thought that Darwin’s interaction with the question of how coral reefs form was central to Darwin’s own formation as a scientist, in part…
“If You Love Evolution, Tweet About It!” COE # 36
Posted by Greg Laden on June 1, 2011 Welcome to the Thirty Sixth Carnival of Evolution. The world of blog carnivals is in a state of flux and uncertainty these days, with the distinct possibility of a mass extinction just around the corner. One of the oldest, longest running, and most important carnivals, I and the Bird, issued its last issue only a…
Ark Park Makes Mark with Darwinian Snark!
Posted by Greg Laden on March 30, 2011 For that special organization or person that makes you throw up a little in your mouth when you hear about their latest aggravating attack on our children’s education, by way of making fun of something that is not really all that funny, DontDissDarwn Central annually awards the highly alliterated angs-ridden accolade: The Upchucky. And this…
Happy Birthday Charles Darwin!
Posted by Greg Laden on February 12, 2011 And, for your birthday I’m going to repost my epic (as in long) series on Darwin and the Voyage of the Beagle. And, to save electrons, each of the following (see above, because this is the blogosphere where everything is upside-down) will be a pointer to the original post. Enjoy!
NASA’s new organism, the meaning of life, and Darwin’s Second Theory
Posted by Greg Laden on December 2, 2010 In his highly readable book, One Long Argument, Ernst Mayr breaks down the body of thought often referred to as “Darwin’s Theory” into five separate and distinct theories, the second of which being “common descent.” Darwin’s second evolutionary theory (second by Mayr’s count, not Darwin’s) is really a hypothesis that could be worded this way:…
Half of Americans think evolution did not happen
Posted by Greg Laden on August 16, 2010 Therefore, we should teach that as fact in schools, right?
Science proves that God created everything out of nothing.
Posted by Greg Laden on March 13, 2010 Accoring to Aubrea Wagner, the 17 year old winner of the Christian World View essay contest in which students were asked to write an essay on the following theme:
“Friends of Darwin” take center stage
Posted by Greg Laden on February 24, 2010 From the NCSE:
Pagel on Darwin
Posted by Greg Laden on November 24, 2009 Mark Pagel, evolutionary theorist extraordinaire, has published an Insight piece in Nature on Natural selection 150 years on. Pagel, well known for myriad projects in natural selecition theory and adaptation, and for developing with Harvey the widely used statistical phylogenetic method (and for being a reader of my thesis) wishes Charles Darwin a happy 200th…
The 150th on the blogosphere
Posted by Greg Laden on November 24, 2009 With ID proponents increasingly and more loudly decrying Darwin as the reason the Holocaust happened, Bogused-Up copies of The Origin being circulated by Banana Loving Christians, and attacks on real science and real science education in the US continuing as though there were no Constitution or court system telling them to take it down a…
Why didn’t Darwin discover Mendel’s laws?
Posted by Greg Laden on November 24, 2009 Perhaps we are all subject to falling into the trap of what I call the Hydraulic Theory of Everything. If you eat more you will be bigger, if you eat less you will be smaller. Emotional states are the continuously varying outcome of different levels of a set of hormones, forming “happy” or “stressy” or…
For Your Darwin Reading and Listening Pleasure
Posted by Greg Laden on November 24, 2009 A podcast from earlier in the year, celebrating Darwin’s birthday. A few essays focusing on Darwin’s Voyage on The Beagle Bon Voyage HMS Beagle The Voyage of the Beagle Darwin Crossing The Atlantic Charles Darwin and the Rain Forest Darwin Gets his Wellies Wet South America on Five Dollars a Day Bugs (Darwin) Darwin South…
Reflections on the Origin of Species
Posted by Greg Laden on November 24, 2009 The The Origin Of Species by Charles Darwin was published 150 years go as I write this. At the time, several different alternative theories of the origin and history of life were being discussed in the West. Some of these theories were theological. Theological ideas included a literal translation of the bible, with the flora,…
Check out the new Charles Darwin Cooking Show
Posted by Greg Laden on November 16, 2009 I believe they are trying to keep it secret, but that’s Robert Luhn swinging around the big knife while raging about Ray Comfort: The source of this video is the new NCSE Don’t Dis Drwin site, HERE.
NCSE Responds to Ray Comfort
Posted by Greg Laden on November 16, 2009 Tomorrow, the NCSE will release a response to Ray Comfort’s tricked-out version of Darwin’s Origin of Species. I got a sneak preview of the web site and if you are good, I can let you see it too. (a GLB exclusive!)
Oh my god Charlie Darwin
Posted by Greg Laden on October 30, 2009 Skepchick Rebecca writes about the Low Anthem’s song “Oh my god, Charlie Darwin with comes along with a video: Rebecca has the lyrics and more information, like who this band is and stuff.
Darwin and Wallace 1858
Posted by Greg Laden on July 14, 2009 Darwin and Wallace, chillin’ Let’s talk about Darwin and Wallace’s joint presentation on Natural Selection in 1858. It is not usually the case that I write a blog post for a carnival. I usually just write for the blog, then now and then sit down and figure out which posts should go to with carnivals.…
Newsflash: World Accepts Darwinism
Posted by Greg Laden on July 7, 2009 The British Council, a Royally Chartered organization involved in education, has completed a survey which indicates that there is “a broad international consensus of acceptance towards his theory of evolution.” From the press release:
MSNBC: Time to retire Buchanan (an open letter)
Posted by Greg Laden on July 1, 2009 Dear MSNBC, I know it is appropriate to have a range of opinions among the talking heads representing a news agency, and MSNBC certainly does have a range. Pat Buchanan, regular commentator on two or three MSNBC news shows, probably serves at the most conservative individual in the MSNBC panoply. But he has to go…
Massimo Pigliucci v Jonathan Wells on evolution and intelligent design…
Posted by Greg Laden on February 28, 2009 Why didn’t Darwin discover Mendel’s laws?
Posted by Greg Laden on February 27, 2009 Perhaps we are all subject to falling into the trap of what I call the Hydraulic Theory of Everything. If you eat more you will be bigger, if you eat less you will be smaller. Emotional states are the continuously varying outcome of different levels of a set of hormones, forming “happy” or “stressy” or…
Larry Moran Reread The Origin
Posted by Greg Laden on February 14, 2009 It’s been a great pleasure to read the Origin of Specie … I had forgotten how clever Darwin was and how he carefully weighs his arguments for evolution. I had also fallen prey to several myths about the book. For example, I didn’t realize that Origin of Species is all about speciation and the difference…
Darwin Year Panel Discussion, Sunday in the Twin Cities
Posted by Greg Laden on February 14, 2009 Feb 15 – Darwin Year Panel Discussion Featuring Myers, Laden, Moore, Cotner and Phillips 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origins of Species. In honor of this, we have assembled a distinguished panel of scientists to give us their thoughts…
Darwin’s Birthday Gallup Poll on “Belief in Evolution”
Posted by Greg Laden on February 13, 2009 The Gallup Poll is not surprising in any of its results but it is, of course, alarming and interesting. Here’s a summary. On the eve of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, a new Gallup Poll shows that only 39% of Americans say they “believe in the theory of evolution,” while a quarter say…
President Obama on Darwin’s Birthday
Posted by Greg Laden on February 13, 2009 … and some other guy … You must go to just after six minutes 20 second. And then it’s like, one second long. But there is is. Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy Quiz: Who first and most consistently against slavery, Lincoln or Darwin?
, which is now available for the 
