Why Evolution is True is a blog written by Jerry Coyne, centered on evolution and biology but also dealing with diverse topics like politics, culture, and cats.
by Greg Mayer
At the new Hall of Human Origins at the USNM on the Mall in Washington D.C., you can have a photograph of your face merged with the reconstruction of a Neanderthal, to see what you would have looked like as an early human. Jerry’s there now, and here’s Jerry’s photo. I’m not sure I can detect any real differences.
Jerry will be posting about the exhibit later (as will I, as promised).
by Greg Mayer
As part of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s Darwin 1809-1859-2009 series commemorating the Darwin bicentennial and Origin sesquicentennial (some of the earlier events noticed here and here), Jerry spoke on ‘Why Evolution is True’ on Sept. 9 of this year. Here’s the video of his talk; that’s me doing the intro. (I’m not mic’ed, and the volume starts out low, but Jerry is mic’ed, and the volume is fine for his talk.)
by Greg Mayer
Russell Blackford has posted a picture of his meeting with Jerry at the AAI convention. From the right and behind is not Jerry’s good side. Or at least not a side from which he is very recognizable. And Russell does have a right hand– it only seems to be missing because the podium is the same color wood as the wall behind.
(Added note: in the original post, I spelled Russell with one ‘l’– now corrected. But since one ‘l’ is how Alfred Russel Wallace spelled his name, the error was actually a compliment!)
by Greg Mayer
Matthew has brought to my attention an article in Evolution: Education and Outreach by Adam Goldstein that mentions the WEIT blog. It’s apparently addressed to a curiously naive audience, taking great care to explain what a “blog” is, and how the word “post” is both a noun and a verb, and that bloggers often provide “links”, and much more in that vein. It’s curious in another way, too, calling WEIT an anonymous blog, deducing that Jerry is the author only from subtle cues, and the fact that PZ Myers has referred to the blog’s author as Jerry (actually, the Myers post he cites is about the book, and predates the start of the blog). Goldstein must have missed the “About the Author” link up over there to the right.
Besides characterizing what blogs are (and mis-characterizing them a bit, too: as the Darwinius case made clear, posting to the web does not constitute scientific publication), he also classifies blogs as being “professional,” “amateur,” “apostolic,” or “imaginative.” WEIT is “amateur”, but that’s a good thing in his classification. Goldstein says about amateur blogs that
…blogs of this variety are superior to those of other varieties for the purpose of explaining evolutionary science… Those who create the blogs in this category are not amateur scientists; indeed, most are experienced research professionals. Nonetheless, they are not professional bloggers, and their blogs present them with an opportunity to take a lighter, less formal approach to the topics they know and love. For this reason, many posts to blogs in this category are highly informative expository essays on a range of topics in evolutionary science.
I also learned from the article about a bunch of evolution-oriented blogs I didn’t know about (including one by people I know!). PZ is classified as “apostolic”; I’m sure he’ll appreciate the religious terminology!
Of more general interest is that the whole journal, which began publishing in 2008, is available free online, at least through the end of this year. Go take a look.
by Greg Mayer
As part of its Darwin 1809-1859-2009 commemoration of the bicentennial of Darwin’s birth and the sesquicentennial of the p
ublication of the Origin, the University of Wisconsin–Parkside‘s Science Night series presents Prof. Jerry Coyne of the University of Chicago speaking on “Why Evolution Is True” at 7 PM on Wednesday, Sept. 9, in Greenquist Hall 103. The event is free and open to the public, and sponsored by the University’s Committee on Lectures and Fine Arts, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Biological Sciences. Parking is free after 6:30 PM. If you’re in southeastern Wisconsin or northern Illinois, we’re in Kenosha, and not hard to find or get to. (For one of our previous Darwin 1809-1859-2009 events, see here.)
A fossil fish, Diplomystus dentatus, with no particular relation to Jerry’s talk, but a nice picture.
by Greg Mayer
I haven’t listened to the interview yet, but I just have to note here that the story of Jerry’s encounter with a botfly larva is lovingly detailed in Tropical Nature by my friends and colleagues Adrian Forsyth and Ken Miyata (in Ken’s case, sadly, a late friend and colleague). It’s in the chapter with the wonderful title “Jerry’s Maggot”. I’ve made it required reading for my Costa Rica field courses.
The Big Debate continues about whether faith and science are compatible and whether scientists should criticize those religious people who agree with them about matters like evolution. Several people, however, have complained that discussion is spread out among so many places — and people — that it’s confusing to follow, especially now that Jason Rosenhouse, Kenneth Miller, “Erratic synapse” (somebody please tell me who he/she is), and the indefatigable P. Z. Myers have weighed in. I believe that John Brockman is going to post all this stuff on the Edge website, but until then here are the links in chronological (and philosphical) order. I think I’ve gotten them all.
Ken Miller has posted a robust riposte to my critique of accommodation (link below), which is cited in a new post by Mooney; I will respond to both of these in due time. In the meantime, P. Z. has written an equally robust response to Miller, and Jason has weighed in again. I swear, folks, I’m not paying anybody to defend me! I wouldn’t want to be in league with anybody, for example, who shaves his cat.
“Accommodation” debate posts in order:
1. Coyne (original New Republic piece)
2. Coyne
3. Mooney
4. Mooney
5. Coyne
6. Mooney
7. Coyne
8. Rosenhouse
9. Coyne
10. “Erratic synapse” at Daily Kos
11. Mooney
12. Rosenhouse
13. Coyne
14. Mooney
15. Ken Miller
16. P. Z. Myers
17. Rosenhouse
18. Blackford
19. Blackford
20. Coyne (Response to Miller, part 1)
21. Coyne (Response to Miller, part 2)
22. Sean Carroll