Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
…and this is a pharyngula stage embryo.
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Nothing is more humbling than to look with a strong magnifying glass at an insect so tiny that the naked eye sees only the barest speck and to discover that nevertheless it is sculpted and articulated and striped with the same care and imagination as a zebra. Apparently it does not occur to nature whether or not a creature is within our range of vision, and the suspicion arises that even the zebra was not designed for our benefit.
[Rudolf Arnheim]
The evolution of deuterostome gastrulation
The burden of bearing a massive penis
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Category: Fossils
Posted on: September 1, 2007 1:00 AM, by PZ Myers
That Dunford fella has already gone to see the Lucy exhibit in Houston … and he's bragging about it on the interwebs. This makes me soooo jealous.
Oh well, he is paying the price. He may have gotten to see Lucy on opening day, but in exchange he has to live in Texas.
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Comments
... or have had the foresight to be "just visiting" then. I'm not sure which is more incredible: Someone living in Texas (by choice) or visiting Texas (by choice). ;-)
Posted by: blf | September 1, 2007 2:48 AM
I heard the Creation Museum wanted to display Lucy but they couldn't decide which animatronic dinosaur to make her ride.
Posted by: Ronald Brak | September 1, 2007 2:57 AM
Posted by: Gordon S | September 1, 2007 4:05 AM
There's more than one opportunity I've passed on because it would have involved living in Texas, I'll just add this one to the list.
Posted by: Dahan | September 1, 2007 9:03 AM
As someone who lived in Texas for 6 years, I just wanted to get the jump on all the "hey, austin is so great it makes up for the rest of the state!" people and say this:
No, no it doesn't.
Posted by: Fox1 | September 1, 2007 10:45 AM
I recently moved to Houston, and my wife and I will hopefully get by the exhibit this weekend. By the way, as a Texan and a lawyer, two of PZ's favorite demographics, it's a wonder Prof. Myers is still my leader. What can I say...it's just ingrained in me to follow a white guy with a beard from waaaaay up north.
Posted by: redstripe | September 1, 2007 11:26 AM
Oh, I should clarify: we moved to Houston from Fort Worth, so we're quite familiar with the lovely state of Texas.
Posted by: redstripe | September 1, 2007 11:27 AM
Well, I'll be sure to bring you some nice presents this December, then.
Posted by: PZ Myers | September 1, 2007 11:44 AM
My brother and I are going to share a similar fate: We're still living in Texas, and we plan on seeing Lucy. I'll get pics.
Posted by: Bronze Dog | September 1, 2007 11:47 AM
I saw a simile at the 2000 World Fair, and it was impressively emotional to see the reconstruction of those puny bones. A recognizable kinship from far away in time and space, illustrating both the fragility of individual life and the strength of life as a process.
And somehow you wanted to hug that small thing and tell her and yourself that it turned out all right even if her family lost her.
Would you believe I did both? (In the line of work, but still.) Oh, I would have preferred returning to Hawaii instead to surf some more so maybe that doesn't count.
But I agree that it could be, um, gutwrenching at times. Texas isn't quite the ideal of equality and free thinking that you wish for. People preferred to take turns at the pool to avoid racial conflicts... They sure grow them differently in Texas. (I hope.)
Posted by: Torbjörn Larsson, OM | September 1, 2007 1:42 PM
"If I owned both Hell and Texas, I would rent out Texas... and live in Hell!"
--Mark Twain
Posted by: Carl Manaster | September 1, 2007 5:33 PM
I think it was Grant or Sherman who made the "Live in Hell" comment. But in any case I want to know how long the lines are to see Lucy. If they've been short I'll go in the next week or two. If they're long, I'll wait.
Anyone seen it yet? Will I give in to temptation and be the first Pharyngulan to post a real comment about the Lucy exhibit? I'll take the bus/rail combo to get there so I can get good and drunk at Valhalla afterward.
Posted by: bacopa | September 2, 2007 2:42 AM