The MassComrehension site has begun making videos of WEIT, which I think is a distillation of my words from the book. There are two videos put up so far at the WEIT Videobook site. The makers are eager for feeback, so if you’ve watched either or both of these, please put your comments below.
Part I: Introduction, Evolution, & Gradualism
Part II: Speciation
Are you happy for me to link to this page on faceb@@k to let others enjoy?
Just watched them and overall think they are well done.
I would prefer each video to ‘complete the idea’, the 1st one was chapters 1&2, the second 2&3. (To fit times?).
They are certainly good and deserve a wider audience than just ‘the choir’
Hi there, glad you enjoyed. Yes, please feel free to share on Facebook!
I don’t know if you noticed, but I put these on my website yesterday: http://www.heatherhastie.com
I’ve been doing other stuff or in bed since (I’m in New Zealand), so I haven’t checked the comments yet, but I thought they were excellent! Congratulations on such good work.
Cool! Thanks for sharing!
They’ve had quite a few views too, which is always good. As a non-scientist myself, I find videos like this really helpful in embedding the concepts in my brain, and thus better enabling me to explain them to others.
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The ‘R’ in RADAR stands for Radio, the ‘S’ in SONAR stands for Sound. There can be no credibility in this program when such basic knowledge is lacking. Editor hang your head in shame!
T.
Thanks for the feedback. I think Coyne was using ‘RADAR’ in a more broad sense, as in any wave-based mapping. SONAR wouldn’t really work here either since that is used in water.
I think RADAR just communicates the concept to the layman quicker than “echolocation” although I can’t speak for Coyne on this.
True, but the narrative is read from the book, I think pretty much word for word. So modifications of the narrative may be problematical.
I’m not convinced. Too many simplifications and shortcuts can be dangerous: for example an Ostracoderm growing a jaw and illustrating the text “teeth and jaws which distinguish reptiles from mammals”… ouch!
“mammals from reptiles”
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WONDERFUL!! I am going to send it to many. In formative for those who understand the concept but not the details, and divinely simple, clear for those less acquainted with the concept.
Hope, when completed, it will be available in one “volume”.
(Feynman, the guru of the clear and simple would approve, I’ll bet!)
Thanks for the wonderful feedback!! Please feel free to share with anyone!
Very nicely done.
I’ve loaned out my own copy of the book. Is the script using direct quotes from WEIT?
I like the visuals.
The audio is the full WEIT audiobook being played. Hence the term “Videobook”. It is the full book.
You have a rich series of images that come and go, matching closely the content and pace of the text. There is a missstep in part I, just after 5 min, when it is mentioned that life could begin as a self-replicating molecule but here you show a cell. Now a replicating molecule that would be easy to acquire would be DNA being replicated, but that would be wrong since we think DNA came later. A better molecule would be RNA making more RNA. I do not know where you might find such an animation and perhaps you could make a simple one.
Appreciate the feedback. The “perhaps as self replicating molecule” is more of a hypothetical aside to the main point he’s making, which is a “single common ancestor”. The bacteria video is used recurringly to represent the Universal Common Ancestor which is why we used it here.
I’m personally all for this, but one’s publisher might have problems …
The publisher was notified several months ago, and no cease and desists letters yet!
A similar item in part I: at ~ 7 min the narrative talks about gradual evolution of birds from reptiles and mammalian teeth from those of reptiles, but the video shows only fish.
I suppose you do not need to show these changes. Instead, you could just show Archaepteryx for the reptile –> bird part, and a jaw of sharp pointy and uniform reptile teeth –> specialized teeth in the jaw of a mammal. There are also illustrations of trees for reptile –> bird and reptile –> mammal too.
As a lay person, if found it absolutely first rate. It really brings those fantastic tree of life diagrams to life. I originally thought part 1 was a little busy at times, with too much going on at once, but I found this one well paced and not an overload for the senses.
From this corner, all I can say is brilliant job!
I think these are very well done. The technical topics are explained clearly enough for most people to understand and accept, and the pace of the narration is perfect.
As another lay person I think it is great stuff. Would seem to me to be great in the classroom as supplemental to the instructor’s other material. Instead of having to say — by the way students, you should read this book — here it is in video.
The way of the future.
On the statement that evolution “can be summarized in a single albeit slightly long sentence” [5:13]:
No, that “sentence” is a run-on sentence, more formally known as a fused sentence. There should be a period after “ago” and a new sentence starting with the word “it.”
As an English teacher who is enthusiastic about all things Darwin, I hope the Darwinians here are just as enthusiastic about academic literacy.
Lots of good things about this production. Easy to listen to and comprehend, with the clear and colourful graphics adding visual interest. Nice voice too.
At times, I found the background track a little distracting, and caught myself listening to it too well. Maybe the soundtrack could be dialed down just a tad. I also like the older version without the music.