Ecology and Biodiversity New paper by moi 12 Aug 2007 I have a review of the centenary festschrift for Mayr, published by the National Academies of Science, in the latest Biology and Philosophy here. I worked pretty hard on this one, so it’s more than your average dashed off review article… Hey, Jody; Fitch, Walter M.; Ayala, Francisco J., eds…. Continue Reading
Administrative Lego me too! 12 Aug 200718 Sep 2017 I had to. They made me do it. Yes, I’m smoking again, but I’ll give up soon, I promise. The grumpy expression is because I’m teaching… Continue Reading
Evolution An essay on the evolution of human evolution 12 Aug 2007 Laelaps has a very nice essay that ranges from the number of ribs humans have, the book of Genesis, creationism, and the variety of stories told about human evolution from the nineteenth century to now. Go read it. It’s one of the few blog posts in which you’ll read of… Continue Reading
Ecology and Biodiversity What is an individual? 11 Aug 2007 Rob Wilson has a new entry up at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, entitled “The Biological notion of an individual”. It discusses an interesting problem, one that goes back to discussions by Julian Huxley in 1911. What is an individual in biology? Continue Reading
Ecology and Biodiversity Update on the Brazilian primate researcher case 8 Aug 200718 Sep 2017 Nature [subscription required] is reporting that Brazilian ecologists are threatening a strike if Marc van Roosmalen is not released. You’ll recall that I posted on his case before. Van Roosmalen is a maverick primate researcher who has effectively been imprisoned for 16 years for political reasons. Brazilian researchers are justifiably… Continue Reading
History Apes don’t read philosophy 8 Aug 2007 I’m home sick, so I’m shirking duties and came across one of my favourite film scenes of all time: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKCZ8-ZAT88] Continue Reading
Logic and philosophy A blog worth reading 8 Aug 2007 Kate Devitt, a PhD student at Rutgers, as a rather wonderful blog, Mnemosynosis, on matters relating to memory. She’s got at present a very interesting post on bacterial cognition worth reading. Continue Reading
Evolution The inimitable Mr Spencer 7 Aug 200718 Sep 2017 I have a soft spot for Herbert Spencer [see also here]. Supposedly the founder of social Darwinism and the precursor to American libertarianism and justifier of the robber barons of the Gilded Age, he has been the whipping boy of progressives and anti-evolutionists alike. Ever since Richard Hofstadter fingered him… Continue Reading
General Science [Philosophy of] science blogging 7 Aug 200718 Sep 2017 I’ve been pretty quiet of late. In part this is because I’ve been travelling with little internet access, but also it’s because I’m teaching a subject I haven’t studied in years, and because I was asked to write a popular essay for a magazine. It’s COSMOS Magazine, an Australian popular… Continue Reading
Administrative Home again 3 Aug 2007 So I’m home from Ish, and the front part of my brain is giddy and tired while the rest has just shut down. I don’t travel well, I’m afraid. One thing that I came back fired up over are the unfinished projects I have running. So I intend to finish… Continue Reading