Monthly Archives: February 2009
Some quick links
PD Magnus on the history of the philosophy of science in the last 50 years, in around 1400 words. A short primer on the Greenhouse Effect Mendeley, a bibliographic cloud project, has raised funding from Last.fm, Warner and Skype execs. … Continue reading
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Filed under Ecology and Biodiversity, General Science, Technology
Been a bit busy, sorry
Folks, I haven’t forgotten you or the promised myth posts, but I’ve had to do some book stuff, along with Real Life stuff. So hang tight – I’m away this weekend (and – shock! – I’m not taking the laptop … Continue reading
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Filed under Administrative
Some more of Whewell on classification
This is a kind of note to myself, an aide memoire to remind me of the fact that much of the modern narrative about classification in biology before Darwin is not correct. It’s also interesting that Whewell defines systematics, but … Continue reading
Filed under Species and systematics
BBC 100 Book Meme
I can’t not do this, because I want to display to the world how nerdish and little of a life I have… Later note: The link above is crap. Instead I’m replacing it with the actual BBC Book list.
Filed under Humor
Laws, theories and models
A 6th grade maths and science teacher emailed me about whether theories could become laws. Below the fold is his request and my reply. The short answer is that when laws grow up, they become theories, not the other way … Continue reading
Filed under General Science
Ecological problems blog
A new blog that looks promising is here. In one of their first pieces they note that Cameroon is following the Congo’s example and setting up preserves for gorillas (and other things).
Filed under Ecology and Biodiversity
Myth 5: Darwin thought evolution relied on accidents and chance
This myth says a lot about the default views of western thinking, rather like the issue of teleology.
Myth 4: Darwin was a gradualist
This myth has more to do with what people thought their own views contrasted to, than anything Darwin said, but like all myths, there’s a hint of truth underlying it. The problem with this myth is the ambiguity of the … Continue reading
Filed under Evolution, History, Species and systematics
Envall troll has his own blog
Once upon a time, I made mention, simply a mention, of a paper by one Matts Envall, which I said I would later comment on. I did so because a friend of mine, Malte Ebach, told me about him and … Continue reading
Filed under Administrative, Evolution, Humor, Species and systematics
Briefly
I finally have internet – only took Primus three weeks to install and get working my internet and phone – and that was with an existing account and line! Tonight I went to the opening of a Thomas Henry Huxley … Continue reading
