The writing life can be lumpy. Last week was so quiet that I didn’t bother sending out a Friday’s Elk. Today, on the other hand, I’ve got a batch of things to tell you about.
 

I’m a huge fan of the Longform podcast, a weekly interview with journalists about their careers and how they do their work. When I teach writing, I always make sure to include links to some Longform episodes on the syllabus so that students can get a sense of what it’s really like to be a journalist. Continue reading “Friday’s Elk, December 9, 2016” →

Apologies for the long radio silence. This month has been full of distractions, and not just the election. I went to London for a few days to report on a scientific meeting about evolution and cranking out a story about it. It was published this Tuesday by Quanta.

Seventy years ago, geneticists and other researchers created a new framework for investigating Darwin’s theory of evolution. The Modern Synthesis, as it’s now known, has been a powerful tool ever since. But in recent years, some scientists have argued that it needs an overhaul. They’ve developed a new framework that they call an “Extended Evolutionary Synthesis.” They hold that we need a broader understanding of the causes of evolutionary change. Scientists need to take into account the constraints on development, for example. They need to explore how species shape their environment, which in turn shapes their evolution. Continue reading “Friday’s Elk, November 25, 2016” →