"A new wave of scientists argues that mainstream evolutionary theory
needs an urgent overhaul. Their opponents have dismissed them as
misguided careerists – and the conflict may determine the future of biology....Strange as it sounds, scientists still do not know the
answers to some of the most basic questions about how life on Earth
evolved. Take eyes, for instance. Where do they come from, exactly? The
usual explanation of how we got these stupendously complex organs rests.
"https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jun/28/do-we-need-a-new-theory-of-evolution
DOES EVOLUTION THEORY NEED A RETHINK?
https://www.nature.com/articles/514161a
On 3/27/24 9:25 AM, Burkhard wrote:
Ron Dean wrote:
"A new wave of scientists argues that mainstream evolutionary theory
needs an urgent overhaul. Their opponents have dismissed them as
misguided careerists – and the conflict may determine the future of
biology....Strange as it sounds, scientists still do not know the
answers to some of the most basic questions about how life on Earth
evolved. Take eyes, for instance. Where do they come from, exactly?
The usual explanation of how we got these stupendously complex organs
rests.
"https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jun/28/do-we-need-a-new-theory-of-evolution
;DOES EVOLUTION THEORY NEED A RETHINK?
https://www.nature.com/articles/514161a
I'd say your source gives a very good and balanced answer: No. And not
because there is anything wrong with the ideas that these "dissenters"
have, but because none of this is massively new. Most of their ideas
looked extremely familiar to me from high school biology, even though
the vocabulary is new, and that is almost 40 years old. All successful
theories change and adapt over time - they too evolve - and just as with
species, it is not always straightforward to say if speciation has
occurred, or if it is merely a new variant of something familiar.
Ultimately not a very interesting question, more a semantic convention
that is of use mainly for historians of science. As the paper argues,
one could also ask if neutral evolution and the recognition of drift
already lead to something that should get its own name. As far as
I can see, all the things the "new" synthesis would add are already
done. Maybe not as much as some of its advocates would like, but that's
merely an issue of emphasis and focus. And yes, it would be nice if we
could for some of them include them in the rigorous formal
treatment that we already have for other aspects of the theory, but
the resulting complexity may be just too much to handle with current
computational tools. Mathematical models always idealise
and simplify, in all sciences ("idea gas" etc), that's just life
One might suggest that the basic idea of niche construction is implicit
in Darwin's story of the bear skimming insects off a lake's surface.
On 3/27/24 2:42 PM, Burkhard wrote:
John Harshman wrote:Did Lyell misunderstand Darwin's bear argument, the same way modern creationists do?
On 3/27/24 9:25 AM, Burkhard wrote:
Ron Dean wrote:
"A new wave of scientists argues that mainstream evolutionary theory >>>>> needs an urgent overhaul. Their opponents have dismissed them as
misguided careerists – and the conflict may determine the future of >>>>> biology....Strange as it sounds, scientists still do not know the
answers to some of the most basic questions about how life on Earth
evolved. Take eyes, for instance. Where do they come from, exactly?
The usual explanation of how we got these stupendously complex
organs rests.
"https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jun/28/do-we-need-a-new-theory-of-evolution
;DOES EVOLUTION THEORY NEED A RETHINK?
https://www.nature.com/articles/514161a
I'd say your source gives a very good and balanced answer: No. And not >>>> because there is anything wrong with the ideas that these "dissenters" >>>> have, but because none of this is massively new. Most of their ideas
looked extremely familiar to me from high school biology, even though
the vocabulary is new, and that is almost 40 years old. All successful >>>> theories change and adapt over time - they too evolve - and just as with >>>> species, it is not always straightforward to say if speciation has
occurred, or if it is merely a new variant of something familiar.
Ultimately not a very interesting question, more a semantic
convention that is of use mainly for historians of science. As the
paper argues, one could also ask if neutral evolution and the
recognition of drift already lead to something that should get its
own name. As far as
I can see, all the things the "new" synthesis would add are already
done. Maybe not as much as some of its advocates would like, but
that's merely an issue of emphasis and focus. And yes, it would be
nice if we could for some of them include them in the rigorous formal
treatment that we already have for other aspects of the theory, but
the resulting complexity may be just too much to handle with current
computational tools. Mathematical models always idealise
and simplify, in all sciences ("idea gas" etc), that's just life
One might suggest that the basic idea of niche construction is
implicit in Darwin's story of the bear skimming insects off a lake's
surface.
shush!! We don't talk about the whale-bear, ever, it's an ill omen.
Yours most faithfully, Chas Lyell
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