Monthly Archives: August 2009
Tautology 1b: Butler
So, upon further investigation I find that Samuel Butler, in his Evolution Old and New (1879) states the tautology argument clearly.
Filed under Evolution, History, Philosophy, Science
The tautology problem
A long time ago I wrote a not particularly good piece on the tautology problem: that natural selection is merely circular definition. I was just out of being an undergraduate when it was published, so it was at best an … Continue reading
Filed under Creationism and Intelligent Design, Epistemology, Evolution, Philosophy, Science
Cui bono? Health scammers
An old legal principle in assigning guilt is the one that goes by the latinate title cui bono? Who benefits? As Deep Throat said, “follow the money“. So, ask yourself: who benefits from a broken American healthcare system, in which … Continue reading
Filed under Australian stuff, Politics
The difference between astrology and astronomy
… about 50 IQ points:
Filed under General Science, Humor, Religion
Some hominid evolution items
Two items worth reading: Mailund notes that the 2006 claim of complex speciation, involving gene exchange for some time after the chimp and hominid lineages split, has been argued against on the grounds that high rates of sperm production in … Continue reading
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Filed under Evolution, Species and systematics, Species concept, Systematics
The Myth of Ascent
Skeptic Wonders has a really neat article on the myth of evolutionary ascent that you all should go look at.
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Filed under Evolution, Species and systematics, Systematics
Obit: Chris Humphries
The Telegraph in the UK has an obituary for Chris Humphries, the botanist and systematist who died recently. Humphries was also a major player in the use of biogeography for conservation.
Filed under Biology, Ecology and Biodiversity, Species and systematics, Systematics
