149 years ago today 24 Nov 200818 Sep 2017 Sgt Pepper… oops, wrong oeuvre… On the 24th of November 1859, a green bound book was published. It made something of an impact on the way we think… Hat tip to Professor Olsen @ Large Evolution History
History The chronicle of 2200 28 Dec 2007 Found in an old manuscript in the ruins of an old university: Well this year has been pretty much the same as those that went before. We planted crops, most of which failed because we only had the poverty of seeds we could find by the side of the now-decayed… Read More
Evolution Does religion evolve? 2 Feb 2008 Here’s a comment that represents a widely held misconception about the evolution of religion: Whenever there is an discussion about religions and changes in religions someone always pulls out the argument that religions evolve. I am very sorry but I believe that applying the concept of evolution to religion is… Read More
Biology Henry Gee’s book “The Accidental Species” 9 Oct 20139 Oct 2013 I have three rules in life. One is, Never get into a land war in Asia. The second is, Locate the nearest exit. The third and most important is: When Henry Gee writes something, believe it. I first encountered Henry through his book In Search of Deep Time, which covered… Read More
I’ve told you lot before: I’m innumerate. I passed pure math with distinction and failed applied. I can’t even do basic arithmetic without a calculator.
I’ve told you lot before: I’m innumerate. I passed pure math with distinction and failed applied. A famous Czech professor of mathematics once said that mathematics is the only science that has no use for numbers.
And just three years later, Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. I know, I know. But I love telling that to people who claim that Darwin instigated racism.:)
With all respect to James Goetz, 32 years before that, Britain passed into law The Abolition Act, which came into force and effect on 01 August 1833. That act altered the status of a slave to that of an indentured servant. Many imagine that this is a distinction without a difference. But consider; the contract of indenture was one that a minor was permitted to enter into, as it was it the benefit of the minor. By indenture, a minor was contracted to a master, in order to learn a trade. Such an indentured servant was entitled to food, clothing, shelter, and education. (The Brits were not content to “free” their slaves to sleep under bridges, and starve in the gutters.) As the indenture lasted seven years, I will not gainsay anyone who wishes to suggest that the true “Year of Jubilee” was 1840. That’s still 25 yearas before the Yanks did anything about the problem>