I have been an avid supporter of Darwin’s theory of Evolution since day one of Scientific Revolutions. I openly expressed and defended my opinions of this subject in class discussions. This pattern also rang true when the topic of Darwin’s competition, the idea of Intelligent Design surfaced in class discussions. I opposed the theory from the start, stubbornly ruling out the validity of the theory’s ideas. In a passing conversation with a fellow student on our way out after the class, I realized I had little to no knowledge on the idea I was so brashly denying as logical thought. While browsing through some popular videos in the defense of Intelligent Design, I came across a trailer for a documentary on the subject. The film, "Expelled: No Room for Intelligence" stars Ben Stein and stresses some key points about how things are far more complex than we could ever imagine. The documentary mentions that recent advancements in technology have enabled us to now observe things so microscopic they were previously beyond the scope of any technology to observe. With this new technology came new experimentation and observations. What it revealed is that there is a literally an entire universe of complexity within every cell. Unimaginably small structures are somehow performing tasks necessary or life with mechanical precision. What the video tries to express with this fact is that there must be some source of information that is telling these tiny little things what to do.
When I first watched this trailer, my stubborn biased thoughts clouded my openness to the ideas that were being put forth. I felt the trailer had too many loose ends and therefore couldn’t be considered reputable. And than as if snapping out of a cognitive stupor, I remembered that what I had just watched was a trailer, and that all trailers have loose ends. Punching myself for being such a space-case, I began looking for more information on the documentary. I came across several other brief chapters from the film. Upon watching these additional clips, questions began forming in my head. My conceptions of what I was so stubbornly accepting as the only plausible logic was suddenly full of holes. Intellectually shaken and a bit perturbed, I pondered the ideas still burning in my head. After quite some time of further introspection, (several days in fact), I was able to gather myself logically and come to a realization. Darwin’s theory has some shady spots. That fact is undeniable. Some things are left unexplained, and at the moment it may seem the most logical explanation for some things in fact is divine presence. However then I remembered the pattern in human existence I had studied in depth for an earlier project. Religion seems to always be the explanation for something that we can’t understand yet. Many years later, with appropriate technological advancements and scientific experimentation, humankind usually tends to find a more reasonable scientific explanation. What I hope is that upcoming experiments involving the Hadon Collider will bring about some new scientific advancements in the field of the universe’s origin. For now I will remain skeptical of intelligent Design, and when further advancements in technology will permit, I will make further conclusions at that point. Nonetheless, I must acknowledge the potential for fallacy in Darwin’s ideas. It’s important to give some space for research into theories possibly opposing the ideas expressed through Evolution.
"Expelled: No Room for Intelligence" trailer:
As Stein’s documentary reveals, teachers and scientists are being outright shunned and discredited amongst their peers in the various fields of science for questioning Darwin’s ideas. What I’ve come to realize is that by being such an immovable supporter for Darwin’s ideas, I’m no better then the members of the Inquisition in the time of Galileo. As my roommate discovered while flipping through the various writings in Appleman’s Darwin, Darwin himself was quoted saying, “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge,”(Appleman, 525). This quote was used in far different context during Darwin’s time. However, it still applies in today’s society, though with different applications. In my case, this quote implies that by being such a stubborn Darwin supporter and remaining ignorant to the pleas of other logic, I am far more likely to convince myself that what I know of Darwin is the absolute, undeniable system of reason. In stead, I should rely in what ‘knowledge’ has to offer. In this case, it is the recent observations on the most complex microbiological process that are beginning to expose potential fallacies in Darwin’s reasoning. As Pope John Paul II stated in his “Message to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences”: “A theory’s validity depends on whether or not it can be verified; it is constantly tested against the facts; wherever it can no longer explain the latter, it shows the limitations and unsuitability. It must then be rethought.” He goes on to say, “rather than the theory of evolution, we should speak of several theories of evolution,” (Paul, 528).
Through the discussion of intelligent design and possible holes in Darwinian Theory I had a revelation in which I realized that as technology stands now, and with the current level of advancement in Microbiology, There are some things out there that don’t necessarily fit in with Darwin’s theory. I realized that I have been far too close-minded on the entire subject of existence.
This is the trailer that originally go me interested in the subject
For additional videos on Intelligent Design and trailers for "Expelled" click here
Work Cited
Darwin, Charles, and Pope John Paul II. Darwin. Ed. Philip Appleman. New York: Norton Paperbacks, 2000. 525-28.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Darwin Revelation: Religious Thought
Throughout my most recent final time line and corresponding essay, and throughout the semester of Scientific Revolutions I explored the various impacts of the roles of creationism and evolution on the history of scientific thought, and common society, specifically societies beliefs on this theme. My studies of Darwin, and the effects he has on society have led to multiple new understandings, new revelations regarding how Darwin's theories were accepted within the general public. I've gained new perceptions of science, religion, culture and society all from one theme and outlook. Based on what we studied this semester of Darwin and his discoveries, my new understanding of science, is in regards to societies general beliefs shaping as a result of the continuing role of evolutionary and creationism thought throughout our culture.
The revelation that I experienced as a result of studying Darwin's entity surrounds the amount of people that support either evolutionary or religious viewpoints of cosmogony. I have constructed new understandings as a result of Darwin's thoughts through the lens of looking at its historical role throughout society and everyday life. Through my research I have realized that religion is far more ingrained in the population’s general belief than I previously thought, according to people’s view of how we came to be, and continue to be in the future. My revelation was a discovery of the prominent belief of creationism in our society, forming as a newfound perspective for myself of the role of science and religion today in our world.
I have achieved this through looking at plenty of sources, and seeing the amounts of support for each viewpoint. From my research I found a lot profound evidence for movements to promote creationism, which seemed surprising to me, as I thought scientific evolutionary thought took the majority of support. I didn’t think people actually believed in creationism over science, but when I thought about it, it makes sense to me because religion is so prominent, and entwined in our society. I found a lot of factual evidence for evolution, natural selection and scientific thought, and simply a lot of 'movements' and 'attempts' to promote the belief of intelligent design, rather than factually or scientifically proving it. This new understanding was revealed through discovering the historical treatment of this theme throughout history. I analyzed the 'evolution' of evolution, the ups and downs of where society stands, and where the peaks are for science and religion.
To describe this ‘evolution’ of the consistent battle of religion and science, from discovering the historical and cultural contexts represented by the events of the chronological time line of this theme. When researching and discovering the annotation of the states changing laws, I found statistics showing the increasing number of supporters for intelligent design. An article from 'dadi.org', supports my newfound Darwin revelation, and states the increasing number of religious supporters over scientific supporters within the general public.
“The [creationism] movement's recent success may in part be a reflection of the fairly widespread sympathy for some of its basic principles. According to Gallup polls, about 44 percent of Americans believe in a biblical creationist view, that God created man pretty much in his present form at one time within the last 10,000 years. About 40 percent believe in "theistic evolution," the idea that God oversaw and guided the millions of years of evolution that culminated with humankind. Only one in 10 of those surveyed held a strict, secular evolutionist perspective (Rosin).”
This statistic frightened me; I always thought science had the one up over religion, this shows the up and down evolution of this highly disputed topic. The belief of evolution is waning in the public, as it is split in separate sides, with a greater amount on religions side. To me, I interpret this evolution or development of this theme to be a constant fluctuation of where society tends to stand. I see this as the general population having a greater affinity with religion, while the scientific community, including professors, students, and scientists having views of ‘pure’ evolution, a belief that evolution is a sole basis for biology, as one the main structures of life, and scientific thought. I thought the majority of the world stood on supporting evolution, correlating with my beliefs of scientific thought. Another element of my revelation was the impact Darwin's thoughts he had on the world, and the following response towards his ideas. To further support another aspect of my revelation of how much Darwin actually impacted society and public thought, Ernst Mayer writes in support of Darwin's scientific views, and how much he influenced peoples perception, in a book titled "Darwin" compiled by Philip Appleman.
"In intellectual revolution generated by Darwin went far beyond the confines of biology, causing the overthrow of some of the most basic beliefs of his age. For example, Darwin refuted the belief in the individual creation of each species, establishing in its place the concept that all of life descended from a common ancestor" (Appleman 23).
Another piece of evidence that enhances my already existing belief of evolution, and supports the scientific communities beliefs of evolution is seen in a video clip of evidence of the 'collapse of I.D. as a theory' proved through evolution and the fossil record. This video shows that the scientific community definitively believes in the profound scientific theories of Darwin, as it shows a lot of evidence and facts supporting his ideas, which I thought the public believed the same, which in my revelation was exposed that the general public believes in creationism. {Embedded Video}
Through my discovery of Darwin's mass influence on history and peoples beliefs, the path of events in history shows the evolution of this theme, how it has developed into a prominent evolution vs. creationism battle, from the 1600’s to today. This development shows the relation between the events, how they interlace with each other with one event leading to the next throughout history of cosmology. Looking at all of the relating events of this central topic, it contributed to my revelation of a new understanding of the standpoint of society on this subject as it is important to scientific thought because of its direct influence on history.
Works Cited:
The revelation that I experienced as a result of studying Darwin's entity surrounds the amount of people that support either evolutionary or religious viewpoints of cosmogony. I have constructed new understandings as a result of Darwin's thoughts through the lens of looking at its historical role throughout society and everyday life. Through my research I have realized that religion is far more ingrained in the population’s general belief than I previously thought, according to people’s view of how we came to be, and continue to be in the future. My revelation was a discovery of the prominent belief of creationism in our society, forming as a newfound perspective for myself of the role of science and religion today in our world.
I have achieved this through looking at plenty of sources, and seeing the amounts of support for each viewpoint. From my research I found a lot profound evidence for movements to promote creationism, which seemed surprising to me, as I thought scientific evolutionary thought took the majority of support. I didn’t think people actually believed in creationism over science, but when I thought about it, it makes sense to me because religion is so prominent, and entwined in our society. I found a lot of factual evidence for evolution, natural selection and scientific thought, and simply a lot of 'movements' and 'attempts' to promote the belief of intelligent design, rather than factually or scientifically proving it. This new understanding was revealed through discovering the historical treatment of this theme throughout history. I analyzed the 'evolution' of evolution, the ups and downs of where society stands, and where the peaks are for science and religion.
To describe this ‘evolution’ of the consistent battle of religion and science, from discovering the historical and cultural contexts represented by the events of the chronological time line of this theme. When researching and discovering the annotation of the states changing laws, I found statistics showing the increasing number of supporters for intelligent design. An article from 'dadi.org', supports my newfound Darwin revelation, and states the increasing number of religious supporters over scientific supporters within the general public.
“The [creationism] movement's recent success may in part be a reflection of the fairly widespread sympathy for some of its basic principles. According to Gallup polls, about 44 percent of Americans believe in a biblical creationist view, that God created man pretty much in his present form at one time within the last 10,000 years. About 40 percent believe in "theistic evolution," the idea that God oversaw and guided the millions of years of evolution that culminated with humankind. Only one in 10 of those surveyed held a strict, secular evolutionist perspective (Rosin).”
This statistic frightened me; I always thought science had the one up over religion, this shows the up and down evolution of this highly disputed topic. The belief of evolution is waning in the public, as it is split in separate sides, with a greater amount on religions side. To me, I interpret this evolution or development of this theme to be a constant fluctuation of where society tends to stand. I see this as the general population having a greater affinity with religion, while the scientific community, including professors, students, and scientists having views of ‘pure’ evolution, a belief that evolution is a sole basis for biology, as one the main structures of life, and scientific thought. I thought the majority of the world stood on supporting evolution, correlating with my beliefs of scientific thought. Another element of my revelation was the impact Darwin's thoughts he had on the world, and the following response towards his ideas. To further support another aspect of my revelation of how much Darwin actually impacted society and public thought, Ernst Mayer writes in support of Darwin's scientific views, and how much he influenced peoples perception, in a book titled "Darwin" compiled by Philip Appleman.
"In intellectual revolution generated by Darwin went far beyond the confines of biology, causing the overthrow of some of the most basic beliefs of his age. For example, Darwin refuted the belief in the individual creation of each species, establishing in its place the concept that all of life descended from a common ancestor" (Appleman 23).
Another piece of evidence that enhances my already existing belief of evolution, and supports the scientific communities beliefs of evolution is seen in a video clip of evidence of the 'collapse of I.D. as a theory' proved through evolution and the fossil record. This video shows that the scientific community definitively believes in the profound scientific theories of Darwin, as it shows a lot of evidence and facts supporting his ideas, which I thought the public believed the same, which in my revelation was exposed that the general public believes in creationism. {Embedded Video}
Through my discovery of Darwin's mass influence on history and peoples beliefs, the path of events in history shows the evolution of this theme, how it has developed into a prominent evolution vs. creationism battle, from the 1600’s to today. This development shows the relation between the events, how they interlace with each other with one event leading to the next throughout history of cosmology. Looking at all of the relating events of this central topic, it contributed to my revelation of a new understanding of the standpoint of society on this subject as it is important to scientific thought because of its direct influence on history.
Works Cited:
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. 3rd ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.
Rosin, Hanna. “Kansas Board Targets Darwinism.” Dadi.org. The Washington Post Company. 8 Dec 2008.
Darwin Revelation
After reading about
In this video it talks more about
Works Cite
Appleman, Philip.
Darwin Revelation: Justifying Gender Roles
In reading Appleman's selections of Charles Darwin's The Descent of Man, I found it interesting how much his studies supported the lopsided gender roles of his day. His study states, "Man is more courageous, pugnacious and energetic than woman, and has a more inventive brain." This writing allowed men in Darwin's time to justify subduing the women in their lives, confining them to roles in the household and involving child rearing. I believe that Darwin's study was biased, whether unintentionally or not, as Darwin was a product of his time. He lived in a time in England where women had never been granted the right to vote, had no rights to birth control and had no ability to gain a political position.
Although Darwin produced a biased study on gender roles in society, his intention was to simply observe. Others however used Darwin's work to keep women out of the business world and in the home. Strong gender roles were established and existed into very recent history.
This video shows the stereotypes placed on a working woman in the 1950's:
The video clearly demonstrates that women were seen as second class citizens even recently. Although women
had been granted the right to vote, their place in society still did not match that of a man's. They were expected to
drop their work life immediately once they were married and had a family. Today that is not the way of thinking for
everyone, but many of Darwin's ideas are still prevalent in our stereotypes of beauty and female body image.
Overall my revelation changed the way I view Darwin's work. Having learned about evolution several times in
elementary and high school, I was just given the overview of his theories of natural selection and the idea of "survival
of the fittest." However now I look at Darwin with a more critical eye. I still believe in his theory but I see that it
was not a perfect study and as could happen with any scientist, his work was influenced by his surroundings. It also
gave me a greater understanding of how Darwin has affected my personal life. Clearly human's have been
produced due to natural selection, but being a female, my life has been influenced by more than that. I am
targeted by media and cosmetics companies, striving for an ideal beauty and if I choose to enter corporate America,
am still going to have to fight harder than my male counterparts for the same job, rank or salary.
Works Cited:
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. 3rd ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.
Davies, Norman. Europe: A History. New York: HarperPerennial, 1998.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA3uryDJzI0
Darwin Revelation: Dating
The Darwin Revelation: Dating and Mating
When Charles Darwin published Origin of the Species in 1859 and introduced his idea of natural selection and sexual selection in which only the strongest, brightest, and most adaptive of a species will live to procreate, I think the last thing that Darwin thought his theory would lead to was an online dating website. But, DarwinDating.com exists today, holding Darwin as the founder behind their idea of creating a dating website for “beautiful people who possess the qualities of effective natural selection”. I laughed at first when I saw this, but they do have a point: humans are much more willing to not only date, but mate with people that they consider to be of their same level of attractiveness or better.
We choose our mates based on attractiveness, health, virility, age, and lastly, personality. It’s easy to tell by sight if you’re attracted to someone—that’s why first impressions are so important. You see someone first, and you speak to them to judge character next. Have you ever wondered why when asked what the person you’re dating is like, you begin with a physical description that highlights all the aspects of that person that you find attractive, important, or promising? (An example of this would be, “Well, he’s tall, muscular, has dark hair, is two years older than I am…” etc.) Subconsciously, you’re going through the details of a significant other that make you believe that makes them an ideal candidate to showcase the production of natural selection.
Taken from an excerpt of the Origin of the Species in our Darwin reader (which you can find here: ) in which he explains his thinking on the topic of natural selection, Darwin states: “…Can we doubt (remembering that many more individuals are born than can possibly survive) that individuals having any advantage, however slight, over others, would have the best chance of surviving and of procreating their kind?” (Appleman 111-112) For humans, intelligence, strength, and beauty seem to be the standards that we unknowingly breed for in natural selection. Some people argue that money is another thing that helps people become more successful and desirable, but wealth is material, and thus must be gained. Also, having money doesn’t guarantee you a genetic jackpot. Look at Donald Trump. (But then again, he is married to a model and fathered a child at the age of sixty. Natural selection for a better next generation?)
In a further except in the same reading, Darwin goes on to say, “As man can produce and certainly has produced a great result by his methodical and unconscious means of selection…Man can only act on external and visible characters…Man selects only for his own good…” (Appleman 113). On DarwinDating.com, they provide a (seemingly) tongue-in-cheek explanation of what are not attractive characteristics that people applying to the site are not allowed to have, including “no visible skin between the eyebrows” and “no proportionally large ears”. We are, admittedly, a very sight-biased species, but in the world of dating and mating, we would rather die than admit to trying to procreate with someone “ugly” or “beneath us”. Maybe this fascination with aesthetic beauty is Nature’s way of further evolving the human species.
Some people have certain “types” that they find themselves attracted to. Some people can’t tell you why they’re with their partner based on looks, but they certainly can tell you what they find attractive in a member of the opposite sex, and chances are, some or most of those traits will be exhibited in the person they are with. DarwinDating.com has exploited this tendency in people to find new partners based on looks, and everything that goes with it in our society today, which includes a certain physique. You can’t blame them, really—everyone dates according to the process of natural selection: that’s why the human race is still around today and flourishing. Most of us just don’t publicly subscribe to the notion like they do.
Works Cited:
1.) Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. 3rd ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.
2.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0P_Om9jWCI
3.) DarwinDating.com
When Charles Darwin published Origin of the Species in 1859 and introduced his idea of natural selection and sexual selection in which only the strongest, brightest, and most adaptive of a species will live to procreate, I think the last thing that Darwin thought his theory would lead to was an online dating website. But, DarwinDating.com exists today, holding Darwin as the founder behind their idea of creating a dating website for “beautiful people who possess the qualities of effective natural selection”. I laughed at first when I saw this, but they do have a point: humans are much more willing to not only date, but mate with people that they consider to be of their same level of attractiveness or better.
We choose our mates based on attractiveness, health, virility, age, and lastly, personality. It’s easy to tell by sight if you’re attracted to someone—that’s why first impressions are so important. You see someone first, and you speak to them to judge character next. Have you ever wondered why when asked what the person you’re dating is like, you begin with a physical description that highlights all the aspects of that person that you find attractive, important, or promising? (An example of this would be, “Well, he’s tall, muscular, has dark hair, is two years older than I am…” etc.) Subconsciously, you’re going through the details of a significant other that make you believe that makes them an ideal candidate to showcase the production of natural selection.
Taken from an excerpt of the Origin of the Species in our Darwin reader (which you can find here: ) in which he explains his thinking on the topic of natural selection, Darwin states: “…Can we doubt (remembering that many more individuals are born than can possibly survive) that individuals having any advantage, however slight, over others, would have the best chance of surviving and of procreating their kind?” (Appleman 111-112) For humans, intelligence, strength, and beauty seem to be the standards that we unknowingly breed for in natural selection. Some people argue that money is another thing that helps people become more successful and desirable, but wealth is material, and thus must be gained. Also, having money doesn’t guarantee you a genetic jackpot. Look at Donald Trump. (But then again, he is married to a model and fathered a child at the age of sixty. Natural selection for a better next generation?)
In a further except in the same reading, Darwin goes on to say, “As man can produce and certainly has produced a great result by his methodical and unconscious means of selection…Man can only act on external and visible characters…Man selects only for his own good…” (Appleman 113). On DarwinDating.com, they provide a (seemingly) tongue-in-cheek explanation of what are not attractive characteristics that people applying to the site are not allowed to have, including “no visible skin between the eyebrows” and “no proportionally large ears”. We are, admittedly, a very sight-biased species, but in the world of dating and mating, we would rather die than admit to trying to procreate with someone “ugly” or “beneath us”. Maybe this fascination with aesthetic beauty is Nature’s way of further evolving the human species.
Some people have certain “types” that they find themselves attracted to. Some people can’t tell you why they’re with their partner based on looks, but they certainly can tell you what they find attractive in a member of the opposite sex, and chances are, some or most of those traits will be exhibited in the person they are with. DarwinDating.com has exploited this tendency in people to find new partners based on looks, and everything that goes with it in our society today, which includes a certain physique. You can’t blame them, really—everyone dates according to the process of natural selection: that’s why the human race is still around today and flourishing. Most of us just don’t publicly subscribe to the notion like they do.
Works Cited:
1.) Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. 3rd ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.
2.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0P_Om9jWCI
3.) DarwinDating.com
Darwin Revelation
Some of Darwin's very basic studies point out that every species survived to the point we're at now by being able to stronger, faster, and more clever than other's of our species. The term "survival of the fittest" was coined through this observation. We can see today that the human species is the same. Those of use who look both ways before crossing the street, usually don't get hit by cars. The ones that check the expiration dates on food don't end up with food poisoning. Those who eat healthy and avoid an over abundance of fatty food usually maintain a healthy weight and heart. Most of the time, those are the people who survive longer, and are able to reproduce in a more effective manner passing on healthier and more fruitful genes.
That's not to say that those with lesser intelligence don't survive. In fact, they tend to procreate more, but unlike in lesser species, they have the same margin for survival that the smarter do. In all of human society, back all the way to the beginning of civilizations, it's never been about who's got the bigger IQ, it's about who is "more." When I say more, I mean more of everything. Better looking, more money, more muscle, more friends, just more of everything. This isn't an exclusive method of choosing, I mean someone's got to love the ugly people, but this seems to be the norm.
In Appleman's Darwin, Darwin himself writes, "females are most excited by... the more ornate males." In the text, this is made in observation to birds, but the same stands for humans. In this video, you can see that like all species, there are certain preconceptions about attraction.
The Chief, the green guy, shows us how there are certain ideas that we have about attracting the opposite sex. Though this is an extreme example, seeing as how the Chief is extremely socially inadequate, it makes my point. In the end, he was able to be more attractive by having more of something. In his case, it was more social skills, but it was still more than what he started with. He was able to flaunt himself, and as a result gained respect and some sort of attraction from the girl he encountered, regardless of the fact that he was about as bright as a fleck of dust.
Work Cited:
Appleman, Philip. Darwin. 3rd. New York: Norton, 2001.
http://www.youtube.com/v/hH2yjZAoWRg&hl=en&fs=1
http://2008scientificrevs210-03.blogspot.com/2008/09/course-readings.html
Darwin Revelation
Zachary Morse
Brandenburg
COR 210
December 14, 2008
Darwin Revelation
Antibiotics: Blessing or Curse?
Charles Darwin was one of the most influential scientists in history. His discoveries still resonate to this day, even one hundred and twenty years after his death. Unfortunately some of his discoveries have been overlooked and unheeded by some members of the medical community. My revelation came to me when I read a bottle of hand sanitizer in a bathroom on campus. I caught a small label on the bottom of the bottle; it said that it kills 99.9% of bacteria. Not long after that I had a flashback to my high school biology class; in the class we had a two week discussion on microbes. During the class we discussed how on the average human hand there can be tens of millions of bacteria. It was then that I realized that if even a tenth of a percent of 30 million survive then 300,000 bacteria survive and are immune to the hand sanitizer and can spread unhindered throughout the population. The ability for microbes to exploit their advantage over other microbes is better expressed in Darwin’s “The Origin of Species”.
“Owing the this struggle for life, any variation, however slight and from whatever cause proceeding, if it be in any degree profitable to an individual of any species, in its infinitely complex relations to other organic beings and to external nature, will tend to the preservation of that individual, and will generally be inherited by its offspring. The offspring, also, will thus have a better chance of surviving, for, of the many individuals of any species which are periodically born” (Applemann 108)
What this means in layman’s terms is that if a certain bacteria, or virus, or any other organism has an advantage over others in its own species then it will have the upper hand and will then will have a better chance to procreate. For example if the outer coating of a cell wall of a bacterium is thicker or has some other advantage that makes it resistant to antibiotics or hand sanitizer than it will be more successful in procreation; and will therefore be able to spread farther and for longer without being killed. Eventually bacteria, which reproduce far faster than us, will become far more resistant to our treatment methods and our strongest drugs like penicillin and other antibiotics may become less and less affective. It is only a matter of time before our methods become more obsolete and we will have to search for new options or face a new health crisis in the form of mass bacterial infections resulting in fatalities. The imbedded video show some of the first signs of this resounding possibility.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L82V6VPJkQ&feature=email
In the video Russian prisoners have started to contract an old disease, Tuberculosis, which has evolved in to a new more potent and more deadly strain. The cause of this is a direct result of poor prison conditions and even worse health care in the prisons. In the video they discuss how they have developed a new drug that could eliminate the new strain, however watching this forces me to ask the question. How long will it take for the disease to develop a resistance to this new drug and become just as deadly as it was before the invention of antibiotics.
Works Cited:
Appleman, Philip. Darwin. 3rd. New York: Norton, 2001.
Evolution Ep4: The Evolutionary Arms Race. April 27, 2007. December 14, 2008.
Brandenburg
COR 210
December 14, 2008
Darwin Revelation
Antibiotics: Blessing or Curse?
Charles Darwin was one of the most influential scientists in history. His discoveries still resonate to this day, even one hundred and twenty years after his death. Unfortunately some of his discoveries have been overlooked and unheeded by some members of the medical community. My revelation came to me when I read a bottle of hand sanitizer in a bathroom on campus. I caught a small label on the bottom of the bottle; it said that it kills 99.9% of bacteria. Not long after that I had a flashback to my high school biology class; in the class we had a two week discussion on microbes. During the class we discussed how on the average human hand there can be tens of millions of bacteria. It was then that I realized that if even a tenth of a percent of 30 million survive then 300,000 bacteria survive and are immune to the hand sanitizer and can spread unhindered throughout the population. The ability for microbes to exploit their advantage over other microbes is better expressed in Darwin’s “The Origin of Species”.
“Owing the this struggle for life, any variation, however slight and from whatever cause proceeding, if it be in any degree profitable to an individual of any species, in its infinitely complex relations to other organic beings and to external nature, will tend to the preservation of that individual, and will generally be inherited by its offspring. The offspring, also, will thus have a better chance of surviving, for, of the many individuals of any species which are periodically born” (Applemann 108)
What this means in layman’s terms is that if a certain bacteria, or virus, or any other organism has an advantage over others in its own species then it will have the upper hand and will then will have a better chance to procreate. For example if the outer coating of a cell wall of a bacterium is thicker or has some other advantage that makes it resistant to antibiotics or hand sanitizer than it will be more successful in procreation; and will therefore be able to spread farther and for longer without being killed. Eventually bacteria, which reproduce far faster than us, will become far more resistant to our treatment methods and our strongest drugs like penicillin and other antibiotics may become less and less affective. It is only a matter of time before our methods become more obsolete and we will have to search for new options or face a new health crisis in the form of mass bacterial infections resulting in fatalities. The imbedded video show some of the first signs of this resounding possibility.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L82V6VPJkQ&feature=email
In the video Russian prisoners have started to contract an old disease, Tuberculosis, which has evolved in to a new more potent and more deadly strain. The cause of this is a direct result of poor prison conditions and even worse health care in the prisons. In the video they discuss how they have developed a new drug that could eliminate the new strain, however watching this forces me to ask the question. How long will it take for the disease to develop a resistance to this new drug and become just as deadly as it was before the invention of antibiotics.
Works Cited:
Appleman, Philip. Darwin. 3rd. New York: Norton, 2001.
Evolution Ep4: The Evolutionary Arms Race. April 27, 2007. December 14, 2008.
Darwin Revelation
Throughout the semester we have discussed the many theories of Darwin and his thoughts on the human race. We have taken these ideas and applied them to our everyday lives and how they compare to what we have to come to know based on research that has been done over the years. We have learned that Darwin's thoughts were revolutionary and the first of that kind.
One specific theory Darwin developed was Natural Selection in which he believed the strongest survive and the weak don't and that is how nature naturally selected what species would survive. Darwin believed those who survived and adapted to changes were the ones that were meant to live and if they didn't it meant they were meant to die off. Darwin states, "The key is man's power of accumulative selection: nature gives successive variations; man adds them up in certain directions useful to him. In this sense he may be said to make for himself useful breeds (Appleman, 104). His theory is based on the idea of the adjustments to changes specific to different species. It is about those species being able to adapt to the changes nature has made and evolve based on their adaptation. Those who are unable to adapt to these changes are not meant to continue on.
I felt this theory developed by Darwin is not only interesting but also important because it relates to our past as well as our future as a society. Natural selection has been occurring since the beginning of time. The species we currently have on earth today are, according to Darwin's theory, meant to be here and were the strongest of their time. We can look back and see how many different species were on the earth thousands of years ago and if natural selection is in fact the case then there is a reason some of them are no longer here and it was meant for them to become extinct. Darwin explains, "Every slight modification, which in the course of ages chanced to arise, and which in any way favoured the individuals of any of the species, by better adapting them to their altered conditions, would tend to be preserved; and natural selection would thus have free scope for the work of improvement" (Appleman, 112). He is stating that natural selection works in such a way that if a species is able to adapt to the naturally occurring changes in their living conditions they are strong enough to survive.
Our environment and society has been dealing with a lot of changes lately, some being man-made but never the less inevitable. A lot of our concern relates to the problem of global warming and what is going to happen because of it. This makes me think back to Darwin and especially this theory of Natural Selection. It opens up a lot of questions in my mind and has made me realize that this could be happening to the human race. If global warming is going to affect us so much, what changes will occur when it gets to be too much. Right now such small changes are happening on the planet and if something is not done about it, I wonder what will become of humans and our world. Will the strongest people out of the entire human race be the only ones to survive, or will we all have to adapt in such a way that we are no longer humans and a different breed completely? The Natural Academy of Sciences explains Darwin's theory, "Drought diminishes supplies of easily cracked nuts but permits the survival of plants that produce larger, tougher nuts" (Appleman, 292). I feel this relates to the future of the human race by opening the question will global warming just change certain aspects about humans? I wonder if we will become extinct all together because our race is not strong enough to survive.
Darwin's ideas have brought up a lot of controversy but to some it is a realization and an explanation as to what is happening in the world. I have been taught Darwin's theories in the past but only a basic level. After going into such detail about Darwin's theories it has definitely opened my mind a lot more to what is going on in the world. It has made me realize I need to pay closer attention to what is happening and what could happen. Natural selection has caught my attention and has made me think a lot about where we come from and how the human race has survived for so long, as well as making me wonder if the same will happen in the future.
I chose this video because it is a stimulation of natural selection and evolution. I felt it was a great way to show how natural selection works and it gives detailed information but is basic enough for everyone to understand. A lot of what is talked about in "Darwin" is hard to understand based on the language used and how scientific the explanations are. This video breaks down the information and uses a computer to stimulate the process giving you a great visual.
works cited
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCXzcPNsqGA&feature=related
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. New York: Norton & Company, 2001. 111-15.
One specific theory Darwin developed was Natural Selection in which he believed the strongest survive and the weak don't and that is how nature naturally selected what species would survive. Darwin believed those who survived and adapted to changes were the ones that were meant to live and if they didn't it meant they were meant to die off. Darwin states, "The key is man's power of accumulative selection: nature gives successive variations; man adds them up in certain directions useful to him. In this sense he may be said to make for himself useful breeds (Appleman, 104). His theory is based on the idea of the adjustments to changes specific to different species. It is about those species being able to adapt to the changes nature has made and evolve based on their adaptation. Those who are unable to adapt to these changes are not meant to continue on.
I felt this theory developed by Darwin is not only interesting but also important because it relates to our past as well as our future as a society. Natural selection has been occurring since the beginning of time. The species we currently have on earth today are, according to Darwin's theory, meant to be here and were the strongest of their time. We can look back and see how many different species were on the earth thousands of years ago and if natural selection is in fact the case then there is a reason some of them are no longer here and it was meant for them to become extinct. Darwin explains, "Every slight modification, which in the course of ages chanced to arise, and which in any way favoured the individuals of any of the species, by better adapting them to their altered conditions, would tend to be preserved; and natural selection would thus have free scope for the work of improvement" (Appleman, 112). He is stating that natural selection works in such a way that if a species is able to adapt to the naturally occurring changes in their living conditions they are strong enough to survive.
Our environment and society has been dealing with a lot of changes lately, some being man-made but never the less inevitable. A lot of our concern relates to the problem of global warming and what is going to happen because of it. This makes me think back to Darwin and especially this theory of Natural Selection. It opens up a lot of questions in my mind and has made me realize that this could be happening to the human race. If global warming is going to affect us so much, what changes will occur when it gets to be too much. Right now such small changes are happening on the planet and if something is not done about it, I wonder what will become of humans and our world. Will the strongest people out of the entire human race be the only ones to survive, or will we all have to adapt in such a way that we are no longer humans and a different breed completely? The Natural Academy of Sciences explains Darwin's theory, "Drought diminishes supplies of easily cracked nuts but permits the survival of plants that produce larger, tougher nuts" (Appleman, 292). I feel this relates to the future of the human race by opening the question will global warming just change certain aspects about humans? I wonder if we will become extinct all together because our race is not strong enough to survive.
Darwin's ideas have brought up a lot of controversy but to some it is a realization and an explanation as to what is happening in the world. I have been taught Darwin's theories in the past but only a basic level. After going into such detail about Darwin's theories it has definitely opened my mind a lot more to what is going on in the world. It has made me realize I need to pay closer attention to what is happening and what could happen. Natural selection has caught my attention and has made me think a lot about where we come from and how the human race has survived for so long, as well as making me wonder if the same will happen in the future.
I chose this video because it is a stimulation of natural selection and evolution. I felt it was a great way to show how natural selection works and it gives detailed information but is basic enough for everyone to understand. A lot of what is talked about in "Darwin" is hard to understand based on the language used and how scientific the explanations are. This video breaks down the information and uses a computer to stimulate the process giving you a great visual.
works cited
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCXzcPNsqGA&feature=related
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. New York: Norton & Company, 2001. 111-15.
Darwin Revelation
Casey Norton
Cyndi Brandenburg
Scientific Revolutions
12/13/08
Darwin Revelation
A topic that is prevalent within American culture since its beginnings is the idea of the American Dream. This topic is something that has intrigued me since highschool after learning about American history and society. It was also prevalent in many texts and movies that were shown to me through my youth. Through many of these novels, there was an idea of the impossibility of this dream and its emptiness. Along with the idea, that the dream becomes emptier each day because currently in American society, people want to acquire wealth. One of the examples that was shown to me in highschool was within the movie American Beauty featuring Kevin Spacey as Lester Burnham. He lacks happiness because he believes he is average and cannot amount to what society wants of him. This movie exemplifies the struggle of the individual to conform within American society.
This study of the American Dream continues to follow me as I continue to examine my own life and what I am learning currently. Throughout this semester of Scientific Revolutions, Darwinian thought and influence is something that raised many questions in my mind. When I look at Darwin and his many ideas, I look at them through how they have affected society today.
Charles Darwin’s belief of Natural Selection was based off the idea that there were favorable variations. Within these variations, come better variations to deal with external problems. According to Darwin in his book The Origin of Species, “Throughout the world, every variation, even the slightest; rejecting that which is bad, preserving and adding up all that is good” (113). In this Darwin describes the idea that the strongest will remain while the weaker are rejected. With the idea of Natural Selection, people could be lead to believe that the poor in American society were just a weaker being. In this case, the poor would remain poor while the rich got richer and did not feel guilt for not helping.
This idea follows one that is discussed in The Bell Curve by Richard J. Hernstein and Charles Murray. This book is along with the ideas of Herbert Spencer are viewed in an article by Rutledge M. Dennis called “Social Darwinism, Scientific Racism, and the Metaphysics of Race”. The article uses both examples to show the racism within science. Each idea allows for an inferior variation or race. Within written proof that there is an inferior race or being, it allows for people to continue suppression of a certain class or race.
In its beginnings, the American Dream was open to all that chose to come to America and flourish. Now, the dream is almost an impossible goal to reach. This idea is one that is recognized as one that even now people continue to strive for. Comedian, George Carlin explains the way people attempt to live their day to day lives.
He commentates on the emptiness of the dream and what it has become.
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. New York: Norton & Company, 2001. 111-15.
Dennis, Rutledge M. "Social Darwinism, Scientific Racism, and the Metaphysics of Race." The Journal of Negro Education (1995): 1-4.
Cyndi Brandenburg
Scientific Revolutions
12/13/08
Darwin Revelation
A topic that is prevalent within American culture since its beginnings is the idea of the American Dream. This topic is something that has intrigued me since highschool after learning about American history and society. It was also prevalent in many texts and movies that were shown to me through my youth. Through many of these novels, there was an idea of the impossibility of this dream and its emptiness. Along with the idea, that the dream becomes emptier each day because currently in American society, people want to acquire wealth. One of the examples that was shown to me in highschool was within the movie American Beauty featuring Kevin Spacey as Lester Burnham. He lacks happiness because he believes he is average and cannot amount to what society wants of him. This movie exemplifies the struggle of the individual to conform within American society.
This study of the American Dream continues to follow me as I continue to examine my own life and what I am learning currently. Throughout this semester of Scientific Revolutions, Darwinian thought and influence is something that raised many questions in my mind. When I look at Darwin and his many ideas, I look at them through how they have affected society today.
Charles Darwin’s belief of Natural Selection was based off the idea that there were favorable variations. Within these variations, come better variations to deal with external problems. According to Darwin in his book The Origin of Species, “Throughout the world, every variation, even the slightest; rejecting that which is bad, preserving and adding up all that is good” (113). In this Darwin describes the idea that the strongest will remain while the weaker are rejected. With the idea of Natural Selection, people could be lead to believe that the poor in American society were just a weaker being. In this case, the poor would remain poor while the rich got richer and did not feel guilt for not helping.
This idea follows one that is discussed in The Bell Curve by Richard J. Hernstein and Charles Murray. This book is along with the ideas of Herbert Spencer are viewed in an article by Rutledge M. Dennis called “Social Darwinism, Scientific Racism, and the Metaphysics of Race”. The article uses both examples to show the racism within science. Each idea allows for an inferior variation or race. Within written proof that there is an inferior race or being, it allows for people to continue suppression of a certain class or race.
In its beginnings, the American Dream was open to all that chose to come to America and flourish. Now, the dream is almost an impossible goal to reach. This idea is one that is recognized as one that even now people continue to strive for. Comedian, George Carlin explains the way people attempt to live their day to day lives.
He commentates on the emptiness of the dream and what it has become.
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. New York: Norton & Company, 2001. 111-15.
Dennis, Rutledge M. "Social Darwinism, Scientific Racism, and the Metaphysics of Race." The Journal of Negro Education (1995): 1-4.
Darwin Revelation
Throughout this entire semester in Scientific Revolutions, we have been discussing the affects of Darwin on the history of our world in its entirety and science in general. Darwin has given me a new outlook upon both science and society. In relation to my time line about war, Darwin’s outlook upon science and his knowledge of society comes into play by allowing me to apply his ideas and thoughts to my own project. Darwin’s theory of evolution has permeated our word since the beginning, and will continue to do so. If Darwin was not around to create this theory, I wouldn’t have any information to support my time line. I wouldn’t be able to explain why guns exist, how telescope technology is used on guns, how we conduct ourselves as a society, and how the cause and effects of war have altered over time. My personal revelation is my understanding of the vital importance of Darwin’s theory’s that have shaped our country into what it stands for today.
According to Philip Appleman, “Science is a particular way of knowing about the world. In science, explanations are limited to those based on observations and experiments that can be substantiated by other scientists. Explanations that cannot be based on empirical evidence are not a part of science” (Appleman, 289). This statement helps portray my revelation in the light of Darwin because it expresses the nature of science and how is must be supported. Evolution is an example of science that would apply to this previous statement. Referring back to my time line, evolution has a lot to do with war because of how technology in weapons have evolved, reasoning’s for war, protection, and tactics. An example of evolution in my time line is art; Picasso’s Guernica is a very abstract painting which was not always seen as art. Aesthetics and art have been evolving since the beginning of time, getting more and more abstract and modern. Speaking of aesthetics, art is not the only war related subject that has changed through time. Music is another example, expressed as the 1812 Overture in my time line. Music has not always been like the Overture, and obviously has evolved much since then, hence today’s popular musical artists and genres. One doesn’t hear music much from the 1930’s in today’s time, and I’m sure in 2099 they won’t be listening to music from 2008. This example relates to art, music, and science because of technology improving every day.
Science and aesthetics still come back into play even when basing my personal revelation upon Darwin’s theory’s and relating them to my time line of war. Appleman states, “Scientific knowledge may enrich aesthetic and moral perceptions, but these subjects extend beyond science’s realm, which is to obtain a better understanding of the natural world” (Appleman, 300). Basically this statement means that even though scientific knowledge is the basis upon life and is backed with scientific proof, aesthetics and the moral outcomes are the determinants. Any information is somewhat bland; however, once it is aesthetically portrayed to the public determines the way in which it’s meant to be taken, its importance, impact, and possible beauty. Aesthetics overpowers science by being able to contort how society reacts to its scientific outcomes. My personal revelation is very important to me and I feel is very important to others too because most do not have knowledge of Darwin. I’ am amazed of how much Darwin has impacted my thinking throughout this semester, and I feel that everyone else in the class feels the same way.
I chose this video because it relates to my discussion of evolution in the promoters and outcomes of war, and how science must be proved with credible evidence. This video displays evidence for evolution and how it plays a role in our world in the past, present, and future. I found this to be the most relevant video clip coinciding with my theme. Our course readings are also another possible source for information.
Work Cited
Appleman, Philip. Darwin. “Darwin and the Shaping of Modern Science.” (289). New York: Newton & Company, Inc, 2001.
Appleman, Philip. Darwin. “Darwin and the Shaping of Modern Science.” (300). New York: Newton & Company, Inc, 2001.
Darwin Revelation
When constructing my annotated timeline I decided to go with the theme of war. While I was looking up different events, I came across a revelation. One that I had not thought about before, which was war among one's self. I never thought about a self-conflict as a war but when looking at the definition of what war was it was a conflict, or a struggle, this could possibly mean that someone could have a war with themselves.
When someone has an internal struggle they are fighting two sides of themselves.This links to Darwin's theory of evolution, in evolving personalities. It is an evolution because in an internal struggle the stronger side of the personality will win the battle causing the weaker side to become nonexistent. When the stronger side wins this changes the way person acts, and perceives themselves, causing an evolution. It is an evolution because the person is forming into someone new. For example in the video below Gollums stronger side Smeagle took over Gollum's and eliminated him. This caused him to be a new character.
As Steve Pinker said in his segment of How the Mind Works, "behavior is the outcome of an internal struggle among many mental modules, and it is played out on the chessboard of opportunities and constraints defined by other people's behavior" (Appleman 469). By this quote, he means that everyone is confronted by internal struggles, which could create different kinds of behaviors whether it is sad, angry, or even acting distant towards others. Sometimes these behaviors could be judged by other people, mainly because other people could react differently over the same situation.
This video is of Gollum from the Lord of the Rings. It was the scene when Gollum was sitting by himself and fighting with his other half of his personality Smeagle. He was confronting himself by calling himself a liar, a murderer, and other hateful things about himself. He was basically turning into two different characters one side being Smeagle who was the good side, and then there was Gollum who tried to make himself sound like a bad person. This was the side that wanted to steal the necklace from Frodo. In the end his stronger personality Smeagle won the battle, and Gollum was officially gone. The video shows an internal conflict among a person.
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2001. 469
When someone has an internal struggle they are fighting two sides of themselves.This links to Darwin's theory of evolution, in evolving personalities. It is an evolution because in an internal struggle the stronger side of the personality will win the battle causing the weaker side to become nonexistent. When the stronger side wins this changes the way person acts, and perceives themselves, causing an evolution. It is an evolution because the person is forming into someone new. For example in the video below Gollums stronger side Smeagle took over Gollum's and eliminated him. This caused him to be a new character.
As Steve Pinker said in his segment of How the Mind Works, "behavior is the outcome of an internal struggle among many mental modules, and it is played out on the chessboard of opportunities and constraints defined by other people's behavior" (Appleman 469). By this quote, he means that everyone is confronted by internal struggles, which could create different kinds of behaviors whether it is sad, angry, or even acting distant towards others. Sometimes these behaviors could be judged by other people, mainly because other people could react differently over the same situation.
This video is of Gollum from the Lord of the Rings. It was the scene when Gollum was sitting by himself and fighting with his other half of his personality Smeagle. He was confronting himself by calling himself a liar, a murderer, and other hateful things about himself. He was basically turning into two different characters one side being Smeagle who was the good side, and then there was Gollum who tried to make himself sound like a bad person. This was the side that wanted to steal the necklace from Frodo. In the end his stronger personality Smeagle won the battle, and Gollum was officially gone. The video shows an internal conflict among a person.
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2001. 469
Darwin Revelation
This semester we have been studying Darwin and his different ideas and theories. We have discussed and made our own theories about what he has said and what we have studied. I personally think one of the most interesting theories is the one about what parents and children have in common on the basis of traits and what we pass on. "Darwinism is a scientific theory about the origin of biological species from per-existent species." (Appleman 9)
We have all heard about how parents and children usually end up having a great deal of things in common. I think it is interesting to try and understand if these different traits come from genetics, or simply what we learn over time. There have been countless media examples of the common saying "like father like son" or "like mother like daughter". I thought an interesting one was from a 1967 PSA:
I think that this concept of a parent influencing a child is something that is present all the time. I think that it is really hard to say whether or not we are products of our parents based on what they pass genetically to us, or what they teach us as we are growing up. All of these are questions that were present in last years classes, this semester's classes, and I'm sure will come up many times in the future.
Works Cited:
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. 3rd ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmzDLzqQ-A0
We have all heard about how parents and children usually end up having a great deal of things in common. I think it is interesting to try and understand if these different traits come from genetics, or simply what we learn over time. There have been countless media examples of the common saying "like father like son" or "like mother like daughter". I thought an interesting one was from a 1967 PSA:
I think that this concept of a parent influencing a child is something that is present all the time. I think that it is really hard to say whether or not we are products of our parents based on what they pass genetically to us, or what they teach us as we are growing up. All of these are questions that were present in last years classes, this semester's classes, and I'm sure will come up many times in the future.
Works Cited:
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. 3rd ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmzDLzqQ-A0
Darwin Revelation
Charles Darwin developed the theory that all life is related and has descended from a common ancestor, the Theory of evolution. After reading different selections from Philip Appleman’s “Darwin” I began to develop my own ideas regarding human nature. By studying Darwin’s theory and the mass amounts of criticism that he received for it, I began to further think about human curiosity to know how the world began. After wrapping my head around this concept for a while, it led me to the idea that humans want one clear explanation to how the world was created. That it is difficult to except that there may be numerous answers to fundamental questions instead of everyone settling on just one. In our society especially humans want a single answer, even though the answer one wants may vary. This theme has been prevalent throughout the course. Multiple times the discussion has come up if Religion is fading out and Science taking its place, debate has thrived over this topic. It is difficult for humans to not know everything, and face that there are multiple explanations for the fundamental question of “how humans came to be?” The debate over this question has created both growth and destruction. Growth has occurred because humans have made multiple discoveries trying to answer these complex questions. Destruction because there have been numerous wars across the world due to differences in opinion regarding this question.
Darwin theory of evolution, and the reaction that it received, has only emphasized the idea of human nature for the need of only one answer. Frans De Waal selection on “Good Natured: The Origin of Right and Wrong in Humans and Other Animals”, discusses this phenomenon. De Wall states, Even if animals other than ourselves act in a way tantamount to moral behavior, their behavior does not necessarily rest on the deliberations of the kind we engage in. It is hard to believe animals weigh their own interests against the right of others, they develop a vision of the greater good of society, or that they feel lifelong guilt about something they should not have done.” (Appleman 515) De Waal then continues to discuss the nature of human consensus. The idea that it is the nature of animals to look out for the good of the community as a whole instead of ones personal interest has been tested by humans. Humans in the past have chosen to be destructive towards one another instead of accepting various beliefs. Does human desire to be correct put a damper on the human species?
Although personally I believe in evolution based on information gathered from numerous experiments and studies, I think it is unrealistic that our world can thrive as a whole if one cannot except other perspectives. This notion of putting different theologies up against one another was discussed in the article “How to Teach Science to the Pope” by Michael Mason. Throughout this article the debate of science vs. religion is prominent, with the conclusion that science cannot fully explain religion in the same way that religion cannot fully explain religion and the world is to complex to understand it all.
Darwin has developed a theory of “how humans came to be” that is the most probable and has much scientific proof to back it up, but still some people do not agree. This has lead me to believe that when it comes down to it is not worth fighting over what is “right” but excepting that no matter what, opinions will always vary. By continuously fighting over different theories regarding complex question humans may most likely never fully answer it is only holding us back instead of allowing us to move forward and work together as a whole. Therefore my Darwin Revelation is rather indirect and broad, but my studies of Darwin and the reactions of his discoveries have made me realize that even with all the proof in the world humans will always have different opinions, it is human nature.
I chose this video because it portrays the theme of self destruction of our own species. As mentioned in the post the idea that humans desire to be right is putting a damper on the human species as a whole. This video is a rather humorous depiction of how fighting with one another eventually will lead to the destruction of humans and possibly our earth.
Work Cited:
Birdman12078. "End of Ze World." Youtube. 14 Dec. 2008. Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZMwKPmsbWE.
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. 3rd ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.
Mason, Michael. "How to Teach Science to the Pope." Discover Magazine. August 18, 2008. http://discovermagazine.com/2008/sep/18-how-to-teach-science-to-the-pope
Course Readings
Darwin theory of evolution, and the reaction that it received, has only emphasized the idea of human nature for the need of only one answer. Frans De Waal selection on “Good Natured: The Origin of Right and Wrong in Humans and Other Animals”, discusses this phenomenon. De Wall states, Even if animals other than ourselves act in a way tantamount to moral behavior, their behavior does not necessarily rest on the deliberations of the kind we engage in. It is hard to believe animals weigh their own interests against the right of others, they develop a vision of the greater good of society, or that they feel lifelong guilt about something they should not have done.” (Appleman 515) De Waal then continues to discuss the nature of human consensus. The idea that it is the nature of animals to look out for the good of the community as a whole instead of ones personal interest has been tested by humans. Humans in the past have chosen to be destructive towards one another instead of accepting various beliefs. Does human desire to be correct put a damper on the human species?
Although personally I believe in evolution based on information gathered from numerous experiments and studies, I think it is unrealistic that our world can thrive as a whole if one cannot except other perspectives. This notion of putting different theologies up against one another was discussed in the article “How to Teach Science to the Pope” by Michael Mason. Throughout this article the debate of science vs. religion is prominent, with the conclusion that science cannot fully explain religion in the same way that religion cannot fully explain religion and the world is to complex to understand it all.
Darwin has developed a theory of “how humans came to be” that is the most probable and has much scientific proof to back it up, but still some people do not agree. This has lead me to believe that when it comes down to it is not worth fighting over what is “right” but excepting that no matter what, opinions will always vary. By continuously fighting over different theories regarding complex question humans may most likely never fully answer it is only holding us back instead of allowing us to move forward and work together as a whole. Therefore my Darwin Revelation is rather indirect and broad, but my studies of Darwin and the reactions of his discoveries have made me realize that even with all the proof in the world humans will always have different opinions, it is human nature.
I chose this video because it portrays the theme of self destruction of our own species. As mentioned in the post the idea that humans desire to be right is putting a damper on the human species as a whole. This video is a rather humorous depiction of how fighting with one another eventually will lead to the destruction of humans and possibly our earth.
Work Cited:
Birdman12078. "End of Ze World." Youtube. 14 Dec. 2008. Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZMwKPmsbWE.
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. 3rd ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.
Mason, Michael. "How to Teach Science to the Pope." Discover Magazine. August 18, 2008. http://discovermagazine.com/2008/sep/18-how-to-teach-science-to-the-pope
Course Readings
Darwin Revelation
Darwin Revelation
The world of business has dramatically evolved over time from what it used to be. People for centuries all over the world have been engaging in business transactions to better themselves and others. “The intellectual revolution generated by Darwin went far beyond the confines of biology, causing the overthrow of some of the most basic beliefs of his age. For example, Darwin refuted the belief in the individual creation of each species, establishing in its place the concept that all of life descended from a common ancestor” (Appleman, 23). Darwin believed that everyone came from one single common ancestor much like the world of business. The basic definition of business is an exchange of goods or services for something of value. Back in times like the renaissance era artists would create pieces or art and then sell them. This is a perfect example of the earliest most simple for of business. The artist gets money or something of value in exchange for one of their paintings; both parties are better off after the exchange. All Business's have evolved from this simple form to large corporations that you see dominate today’s economy.
When sitting down to write this blog post I had a revelation that the evolution in business is directly related to technology and the advancements of it. As time went on and new technologies were discovered businesses were able to evolve into a new and improved form. An example of this would be the invention of the printing press, with this technology businesses were able to print out and distribute information about their store and location. This allowed business to reach a larger customer base by having the name of their store spread throughout the area. During the industrial revolution the next pieces of technology were introduced, these would again change and evolve the business world. Steam power changed was the biggest factor for the evolution of business in this time period. Having steam power allowed business to transport their merchandise must faster and at more cost efficient. Businesses now are able to ship their goods to a customer who is far away once again reaching even more potential customers. With business able to attract more customers they are able to generate more income and grow. Businesses have gone from single store fronts to now multiple stores all over the country with each store front attracting a wide array of customers.
Darwin’s theory of natural selection applies to business as well as science, Darwin said “As many more individuals of each species are born than can possibly survive; and as, consequently, there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable for itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of surviving, and thus be naturally selected.” (Appleman 97) This quote explains how natural selection, and how if you are better than the competition you will survive. In the business world if you can’t offer a superior product than your competition than you will not survive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1A9lYC3g-0
This video connects to the evolution of business because it is about an important invention that has completely revolutionized the world we live in today. In 1991 the company Cern invented the internet. The video talks about how the internet can connect people all over the world in a matter of seconds. This technology allowed the business world to move to the next evolutionary stage in its life, e-commerce. E-commerce is business that is conducted over the internet; the customer doesn’t ever have to leave their seat to purchase practically anything they want. The internet is just one example of how technology has helped the business world evolve.
Works Cited:
Appleman, Philip. Darwin. 3rd. New York: Norton, 2001.
Evolution of Video Games
It’s funny how some of the best ideas can come from odd places. In this case something that is done frequently. While sitting on a couch and playing a game, a usual task for myself, I came upon a revelation. Though amazingly simple, video games are technology, and like technology they’ve evolved. It was a thought that I just hadn’t thought about for a long time. How every few years new consoles come out, and with them a bucket load of new features. The amazing realistic style games that exist now are a product of all the consoles and games that have failed and succeeded throughout the past few decades. In a way the industry has evolved through natural selection.
Companies come and go every few years, Sega was a big contender for years but they removed from the console business with the Dreamcast. Microsoft would enter with their Xbox and take up a reigning position within the industry. It’s exactly like what Darwin said,
“As many more individuals of each species are born than can possibly survive; and as, consequently, there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable for itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of surviving, and thus be naturally selected.” (Appleman 97)
Whenever a console is created with a strong successful feature, the consumer will purchase it, improving the company’s business, increasing its survival. It’s near the end of that generation of consoles that other companies attempt to mimic the feature or improve upon it to succeed as well. Before you know it every game system has it as a staple feature. For example Microsoft brought online multiplayer to the table, now on the next generation Sony and Nintendo have picked up the feature for their own products, This being one of the more modern examples. The upgrade from 2D to 3D and the change from cartridges to disks are some of the older ones, to see 50 of the greatest innovations in the game industry click on this, 50 Greatest Game Design Innovations(Link).
So while Darwin might be referring to the evolution of species, it can still be applicable to the game industry and how far it has come. Systems have come and gone, and all of the industry has evolved from every stepping stone. The next generation will come, and with it new ways to survive in the world of video games.
Works Cited:
Appleman, Philip. Darwin. 3rd. New York: Norton, 2001.
Edge Staff, "50 Greatest Game Design Innovations." Edge Online. 01 Nov 2007. Edge. 14 Dec 2008.
Companies come and go every few years, Sega was a big contender for years but they removed from the console business with the Dreamcast. Microsoft would enter with their Xbox and take up a reigning position within the industry. It’s exactly like what Darwin said,
“As many more individuals of each species are born than can possibly survive; and as, consequently, there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable for itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of surviving, and thus be naturally selected.” (Appleman 97)
Whenever a console is created with a strong successful feature, the consumer will purchase it, improving the company’s business, increasing its survival. It’s near the end of that generation of consoles that other companies attempt to mimic the feature or improve upon it to succeed as well. Before you know it every game system has it as a staple feature. For example Microsoft brought online multiplayer to the table, now on the next generation Sony and Nintendo have picked up the feature for their own products, This being one of the more modern examples. The upgrade from 2D to 3D and the change from cartridges to disks are some of the older ones, to see 50 of the greatest innovations in the game industry click on this, 50 Greatest Game Design Innovations(Link).
So while Darwin might be referring to the evolution of species, it can still be applicable to the game industry and how far it has come. Systems have come and gone, and all of the industry has evolved from every stepping stone. The next generation will come, and with it new ways to survive in the world of video games.
Works Cited:
Appleman, Philip. Darwin. 3rd. New York: Norton, 2001.
Edge Staff, "50 Greatest Game Design Innovations." Edge Online. 01 Nov 2007. Edge. 14 Dec 2008
News In Science: Dippin' Dots
Carissa Stimpfel
COR-210
Brandenburg
12/11/08
News in Science: Dippin’ Dots
Chances are, if you’ve been to a movie theater, at one point or another, you’ve had Dippin’ Dots. If you haven’t, you’re really missing something. Small, round balls of cryogenically frozen ice cream that has to be kept at a temperature of -20 degrees Fahrenheit and coming in flavors such as Banana Split, Bubblegum, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Cookies & Cream with Oreo, Cotton Candy, and your good old-fashioned Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry—they taste like nothing else.
Labeled “the ice cream of the future”, Dippin’ Dots takes on a whole new ice cream-eating experience. You can pour them into a cup, eat them slowly, even play with the beads. However, because of the extreme temperature they need to be stored in, Dippin’ Dots are not sold in regular supermarkets or are widely available. Movie theaters seem to be the best place to find them, short of at one of the few Dippin’ Dots franchise stores in the U.S.
In 1988, microbiologist Curt Jones got the idea to combine his family’s ice cream recipe with liquid nitrogen, which flash-freezes the ice cream into small beads, locking in the flavor and texture and making the ice cream less susceptible to quickly melting or sticking together. This process is known as cryogenically freezing—you may have heard it used in science-fiction articles in regards to freezing people like Walt Disney. Same basic theory. To be cryogenically frozen, something must be frozen at under -75 degrees. By cryogenically freezing something, texture, taste, and moisture are locked in better than if the food was to be traditionally frozen. Traditional freezing requires quick thawing with loss of water retention, where cryogenically freezing things does not.
This is a revolutionary idea because not many of our current foods are cryogenically frozen. Although it is a longer and more involved process than traditional freezing and requires both liquid nitrogen and special machinery, it’s important because it can and could be used more commercially to keep foods fresher longer. Also, there has been some testing and speculation done with cryogenics to see if they could freeze to later resuscitate humans, hence the Walt Disney theory. In the meantime though , Dippin’ Dots remain a fun novelty.
http://www.cryogenicsociety.org/resources/cryo_central/food_processing/
http://www.dippindots.com/company/faqs/
COR-210
Brandenburg
12/11/08
News in Science: Dippin’ Dots
Chances are, if you’ve been to a movie theater, at one point or another, you’ve had Dippin’ Dots. If you haven’t, you’re really missing something. Small, round balls of cryogenically frozen ice cream that has to be kept at a temperature of -20 degrees Fahrenheit and coming in flavors such as Banana Split, Bubblegum, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Cookies & Cream with Oreo, Cotton Candy, and your good old-fashioned Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry—they taste like nothing else.
Labeled “the ice cream of the future”, Dippin’ Dots takes on a whole new ice cream-eating experience. You can pour them into a cup, eat them slowly, even play with the beads. However, because of the extreme temperature they need to be stored in, Dippin’ Dots are not sold in regular supermarkets or are widely available. Movie theaters seem to be the best place to find them, short of at one of the few Dippin’ Dots franchise stores in the U.S.
In 1988, microbiologist Curt Jones got the idea to combine his family’s ice cream recipe with liquid nitrogen, which flash-freezes the ice cream into small beads, locking in the flavor and texture and making the ice cream less susceptible to quickly melting or sticking together. This process is known as cryogenically freezing—you may have heard it used in science-fiction articles in regards to freezing people like Walt Disney. Same basic theory. To be cryogenically frozen, something must be frozen at under -75 degrees. By cryogenically freezing something, texture, taste, and moisture are locked in better than if the food was to be traditionally frozen. Traditional freezing requires quick thawing with loss of water retention, where cryogenically freezing things does not.
This is a revolutionary idea because not many of our current foods are cryogenically frozen. Although it is a longer and more involved process than traditional freezing and requires both liquid nitrogen and special machinery, it’s important because it can and could be used more commercially to keep foods fresher longer. Also, there has been some testing and speculation done with cryogenics to see if they could freeze to later resuscitate humans, hence the Walt Disney theory. In the meantime though , Dippin’ Dots remain a fun novelty.
http://www.cryogenicsociety.org/resources/cryo_central/food_processing/
http://www.dippindots.com/company/faqs/
Darwin Revelation
Kate Harroun
Scientific Revolutions
12/14/08
Darwin Revelation
Darwin Revelation
Social Darwinism is known as the survival of the fittest within a society. This theory is best shown from the reasoning of why kids enroll in college. This is because they want to get a degree and obtain a good job in the future. The kids that decide not to go to college usually do not make as high of a salary as those who spent a good amount of money and four years getting an education. In the workplace an individual always wants to be better than their peers in the hopes that they can have a better life. This is what my revelation of social Darwinism in the real world means to me.
Different course readings touched on this subject in a variety of ways. Andrew Carnegie wrote in The Gospel Of Wealth that, "We accept and welcome, therefore, as conditions to which we must accommodate ourselves, great inequality of environment; the concentration of business, industrial and commercial, in the hands of a few; and the law of competition between these, as being not only beneficial, but essential to the future progress of the race" (Appleman, 396). This basically means that only a few hold the ability to live in the best places, work the best jobs, and because only these few individuals have this grace the human race will live on. This is because of the competition people experience in their lives. This could also be further explained as the survival of the fittest, and if everyone had the survival techniques to have an equal life that is the best the human race would all be the same.
Another course reading that explains this revelation is a selection from On Becoming Human, by Nancy Makepeace Tanner, where she states, "Natural Selection - the fitness of the individual and ... the intelligence to gather and the sociability to share with offspring doubtless were enhanced by natural selection ... and skilled use of the hands" (Appleman, 432). This basically means that physically being the best and mentally being the best are just as important to one another. To be the best and survive as the fittest you need not to just have a large mental capacity but strong physical features as well. Both are important to survive as a human in this lifetime. You need to have both the mental stamina and physical stamina to achieve success.
The Apprentice Season 1 Intro. Retrieved December 14th, 2008, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEFQlrvJ618
I have included the video for the theme song to the popular job interview show called The Apprentice. This show involves people that go through many tasks in the hopes to win a high power job working for Donald Trump. At the end of the show only one person will be the winner if they show Mr. Trump they are the strongest for the job. This is another example of how the theory of social Darwinism occurs in everyday life.
Works Cited
Darwin Revelation
Chelsey Obuchowski
December 14, 2008
Darwin Revelation
Charles Darwin altered common scientific beliefs and set the foundation for biology with his theory of evolution "Darwinism is a scientific theory about the origin of biological species from per-existent species....Darwinism can be evolutionary metaphysic about the nature of reality and the universe...an economic theory, or a moral theory, or an aesthetic theory, or a psychological theory (Appleman 9). This theory said that all animal species on earth have evolved from their respective ancestors throughout history. Darwin Called this natural selection which is basically a form of survival of the fittest, each species changed their physical attributes through generations of selective mating in order to adapt to survive in their environment.
A deeper look inside this theory shows that parents pass on their traits to their children. If both parents pass on their most valuable traits to their children then the child, along with their own personal traits has better opportunities to succeed. For example if your father is very handy with tools and fixing things and your mother is very good at math and science, then you are likely to be good at both.
The following link shows a young boy who is fascinated with his father’s car magazine.
He is too young to realize that this is something that his father is interested in and therefore likes it to be like his father, he just naturally was interested in it. I think that this proves the point that these types of traits are naturally part of our personalities and we do not follow in our parents footsteps simply because we choose to.
Work Cited:
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. 3rd ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.
"Like Father like Son".Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQveBE_7SjQ
December 14, 2008
Darwin Revelation
Charles Darwin altered common scientific beliefs and set the foundation for biology with his theory of evolution "Darwinism is a scientific theory about the origin of biological species from per-existent species....Darwinism can be evolutionary metaphysic about the nature of reality and the universe...an economic theory, or a moral theory, or an aesthetic theory, or a psychological theory (Appleman 9). This theory said that all animal species on earth have evolved from their respective ancestors throughout history. Darwin Called this natural selection which is basically a form of survival of the fittest, each species changed their physical attributes through generations of selective mating in order to adapt to survive in their environment.
A deeper look inside this theory shows that parents pass on their traits to their children. If both parents pass on their most valuable traits to their children then the child, along with their own personal traits has better opportunities to succeed. For example if your father is very handy with tools and fixing things and your mother is very good at math and science, then you are likely to be good at both.
The following link shows a young boy who is fascinated with his father’s car magazine.
He is too young to realize that this is something that his father is interested in and therefore likes it to be like his father, he just naturally was interested in it. I think that this proves the point that these types of traits are naturally part of our personalities and we do not follow in our parents footsteps simply because we choose to.
Work Cited:
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. 3rd ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.
"Like Father like Son".Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQveBE_7SjQ
Darwin Revelation ; Religion vs. Science
The idea of Natural Selection presented by Darwin, whereas a species or organism adapts to its environment over a long period of time, can be used to explain the fundamental problems inherent in modern society and the belief systems of some organizations. More specifically, the adaptation of Religion over the years, along with its counter-part, Science, to better survive in a world of constant questioning. For my revelation, I have decided to explore this connection, and explain how I understand each form of belief has adapted to survive in modern society.
The primary support for my endeavor comes from the article How To Teach Science to the Pope, by Michael Mason. Growing up in the last decade, the misconception that religious authority disapproved of Science was still accepted to an extent, especially after being taught the conservative methods of the Catholic Church and their response to scientific reasoning in the past. A quick example being the prosecution of Galileo Galilei during the 1600's; after defending the theory of heliocentrism as defined by Copernicus and Galileo's own inquiry, the Church condemned any such notions and subjected him to house arrest.
However, the strict code of belief owned by the Church has diminished over the years. In 1936, the Vatican established the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, an institution designated to the research and understanding of Science. According to Brother Guy Consolmagno, “If you think the universe is fundamentally good and that it’s an expression of a good God, then studying how the universe works is a way of becoming intimate with the Creator. It’s a kind of worship. And that’s been a big motivation for doing any kind of science.” The main focus of the science studied is to better understand God and his mysterious ways, but I propose a different, more preposterous reason.
According to Darwin, an organism must adapt and survive to its environment in order to survive. Is it not suiting to say the Church has done just this in changing their belief system and accepting science? In a message from Pope John Paul to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, he states: “During this plenary session, you are undertaking a “reflection on science at the dawn of the third millennium,” starting with the identification of the principal problems created by the sciences and which affect humanity’s future. With this step you point the way to solutions which will be beneficial to the whole human community” (Appleman 527). The acceptance of Science and the Churches new fervor to be part of its advancement is a relatively strong sign that the Church has started to change on behalf of its environment.
Belonging to the Academy are scientists and religious scholars, all pursuant of scientific truth and its implications on religious matters. One of the people working here, Richard Dawkins, is known as an extreme Atheist, and has written a book called The God Delusion. This video provides a short excerpt from the book on Dawkins theory behind religion:
Evolution and the scientific theory behind it might answer a few questions about our origin, but the big questions, like "Why are we here?, Is there more to life?, and What created it all?" can only be speculated on. In this sense, religion, along with science, is still a necessesity. Both compete to provide answers to questions, yet neither can be 100% on those above. It is here that one must be willing to make acceptions in belief and the sources of those beliefs.
For a list of the readings that have helped lead me to this conclusion, go here.
Sources:
Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. 3rd ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001
"God Delusion by Richard Dawkins - Science vs. Religion." Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rte3kfzNXPg
Mason, Michael. "How to Teach Science to the Pope." Discover Magazine. August 18, 2008.http://discovermagazine.com/2008/sep/18-how-to-teach-science-to-the-pope
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