Evolution quotes 15 Apr 2010 Creatures inveterately wrong in their inductions have a pathetic, but praiseworthy, tendency to die before reproducing their kind. [W. V. O. Quine, Ontological Relativity and Other Essays 1969: 70] Epistemology Evolution Philosophy Quotes Science
Evolution New work on the origin of life 11 Jun 2008 I can’t say much about this without reading the paper in the company of Somebody Who Knows About Chemistry, but Jack Szostak’s team at the Harvard Medical School has done some interesting looking work on the self assembly of lipids into miscelles that could contain DNA reactions. What is new… Read More
Philosophy On the straits of philosophy 11 Apr 2010 My recent post on “Mammals” led one commentator at Panda’s Thumb to reiterate the old joke about philosophy being like mathematicians but without erasers and rubbish bins, and more serious comments about philosophy having a GIGO problem. Coincidentally, Jason Stanley has a piece in the Times Higher Education Supplement bemoaning… Read More
Creationism and Intelligent Design Is history a science? Creationists don’t think so 4 Sep 20134 Sep 2013 I received a query by email recently from Jennifer, an MD. Dear Dr. Wilkins, I’m wondering if you had the time if you could perhaps steer me in the right direction of help me understand the philosophy behind the argument of creationist use to negate the theory of evolution saying… Read More