I doubt that this will make many hearts flutter, and there’s no centerfold, but the latest issue of the wonderful Spanish-language science magazine Órbitas Cientificas is all about evolution—50-odd pages worth!. It also has yours truly on the cover, and a longish interview with me (in Spanish). You can download the whole magazine, which is a free online monthly, here.
Now I have no idea what I said, because the phone interview was transcribed into Spanish and I forgot, but Spanish-speaking readers will understand (let me know if I said anything stupid; I think I managed to get in a few words about religion). Some of the anti-theistic parts of the interview that didn’t make it into Órbitas appear in the magazine’s ancillary site, Sin Dioses (“without Gods”; an atheist/skeptical forum for Spanish-speaking readers).
More important is the emphasis on the truth of evolution throughout the magazine, which is not the easiest thing to convey in a religious country where evolution is a bit anathema (the magazine is published in the Dominican Republic). Check out the list of the “10 most common errors about evolution” on pp. 58-59 (my interview follows it). There’s also a piece on my Chicago colleague and paleontologist Paul Sereno, a dinosaur hunter often called “the modern Indiana Jones”.
The magazine is edited by the energetic and science-loving Glenys Álvarez, and is aimed at the general public, trying to convey hard science—and skepticism—in an accessible and fun way. The contributors are professionals who write about all manner of topics, including philosophy, quantum mechanics, entomology, and so on. If you’re a Spanish speaker/reader, you can sign up for free monthly alerts by sending an email to editoraneutrina@gmail.com , which will let you know when a new edition is out. Thanks to Glenys for conducting and translating the interview.
Magazines will often have a picture of a missing link but they seldom have a photograph! 80)
Thanks a lot for your flattering comment. Do you always act like a jerk?
Hispanics are the fastest growing population in this country. I cannot image the scenario that they would come to believe in evolution in this country or any other.
Not a very imaginative fellow, eh?
David reminds me of the tale – possibly apocryphal – where a conversation goes thus …
Texas Teenager (to visitor): And where are you from?
Visitor: England
TT: My, you speak very good English!
Greg G:
Es erróneo decir que.
Jerry es muy hermoso y muy inteligente.
Most excellent, Jerry!
I think the cover is kind of cute 😀
I do too.
You just think they have you explaining the truth of Evolution in those pages. In reality…well, let’s just say that you should be very careful should you ever encounter any well-endowed women carrying a leather-clad sheep under her left arm.
Good luck!
b&
ROFL!
Congratulations! Nice smile, but needs KITTEHS to go with it.
I fixed it:
http://www.mineralarts.com/artwork/JCcover.jpg
What do you mean, no centerfold?
There is a centerfold all right, as there should be, pp. 64-65!
Well done, Jerry, the interview is sharp and limpid.
That photo on said spread is a pretty good environmental portrait. It’s well done, even if there’s some room for the photographer to have improved it a bit (such as by having an assistant use a diffuser to give Jerry a bit of shade and let him open his eyes a bit more).
The cover photo is obviously from that same file…but it’s had an extreme contrast boost, it’s been over-sharpened, and the resolution has been dropped to the point of visible pixelation. All done intentionally for stylistic effect, I’m sure…but the end result in terms of portraiture is, predictably, to make Jerry look rather unwell — the exact opposite goal of portraiture.
So, I’d recommend that the magazine keep the photographer but find a new graphic designer. There’re lots of of other sins in need of atonement on those pages….
If the content is as good as Jerry suggests it is, it deserves to be presented equally elegantly.
Cheers,
b&
Eye of the beholder; to me he looks healthy, confident . . . and young!
But enough of this lookism . . .
Yes, he certainly does in the two-page spread in the middle of the magazine.
But, on the cover, starting with the same photo…they managed to ‘Shop his stubble into melanoma, a remarkable achievement I’m not sure I’d be proud of….
b&
There’s a perfectly nice shot of Jerry on page 6 of the Table of Contents, in any case. Here in Japan, I’m frequently amused by the photo preferences for publication…!
Thanks a lot, Jerry. Your are awesome!! It was a pleasure talking to you.
Hugs from the Caribbean!
Gotta tell you: hearts are fluttering throughout the Village, which explains why I was sensing an extra throb in the streets today.
It is very nice to see you on a cover!! 🙂
Love and respect,
Sushi