Hey, ‘tis the season to exchange gifts, so give it to every friend who has ever wondered why you think there is more to know about evolution than the Darwin-in-the-schools lobby wants the world to know:
Major scientists from a dozen countries present evidence that a paradigm shift is underway or has already taken place, replacing neo-Darwinism (the standard model of evolution based on natural selection following the accumulation of random genetic mutations) with a vastly richer evolutionary synthesis than previously thought possible.
Regular readers may recall that I (O’Leary for News) have long admired Suzan Mazur, a journalist with good credentials in name media, who could have done much better for herself, had she just joined in on the “Darwin wuz RIGHT!” captive pack howl.
The captive howl practically transcribes itself. And forgettably too.
But—and any serious hack knows this—the scent of a story… that sometimes elusive, sometimes clear sense of approaching the heart of an issue, only to be turned back by gatekeepers, PR boffos, tenured asshats…
I guess she decided, as I did*, to just wave them all aside and follow the true scent. Most game-changing stories probably begin that way.
Anyway, give this book to your “concerned friends” and tell them to get back to you after they read at least some of it.
Design? No design? We can talk. But get this: Sorry, Darwin, it’s not your evolution any more
Me? Early days on the pop science beat, I ran into a throng of such pack hacks. They were out to get some dissenting researcher (on an unrelated issue), and he ended up kneeling at my feet, begging for paper so he could take notes (he didn’t know he would be mugged). I gave him some and said I would do whatever else needed. And swore to myself I would never believe a single thing thereafter that the pack hacks said about him, except supported by evidence they had no hand in creating.
See also: Evolution: The fossils speak, but hardly with one voice
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