Long-time readers of this blog will be aware of my Ahab-like obsession with George Will’s global warming errors in the Washington Post–and the Post’s hollow claims to have carefully fact-checked him. I confess that I’ve let a couple of his more recent columns slip by. But I had to stop to blog about his latest take on global warming, in which he jumps on the recently stolen emails among climate scientists. He does a remarkable job of making no sense at all. Continue reading “George Will: Uncheckable?”
Over the course of the year, Science has published a series of essays in honor of Charles Darwin. I’ve had the pleasure of writing several of them (on the origin of life, the origin of eukaryotes, and the origin of sex). And now I’ve had the pleasure of writing the final one in the series, on the origin of the future–in other words, where evolution goes from here. Check it out. (Plus, if you’re interested, you can listen to a conversation I had about the future of life on Science’s podcast.)
Originally published December 4, 2009. Copyright 2009 Carl Zimmer.
Science, December 4, 2009
In the final words of the final sentence of On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin gave a nod to the future. “There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.”
Darwin recognized that as long as the ingredients for the evolutionary process still exist, life has the potential to change. He didn’t believe it was possible to forecast evolution’s course, but he did expect humans would have a big effect.
Check out this project in which people get tattoos of endangered species. Here’s more at New Scientist. If any participants want to submit a piece for the Science Tattoo Emporium, I’ll be waiting!
Originally published December 3, 2009. Copyright 2009 Carl Zimmer.
Greetings, people of Denver. On Thursday I will be speaking at the Denver Museum of Natural and Science about The Tangled Bank and my favorite creature of the season, swine flu. Here are the details. See you there!
Originally published November 30, 2009. Copyright 2009 Carl Zimmer.