Sunday, March 18. 2007
Entries tagged as evolution
Sunday, March 4. 2007
Tragedy of human cognition?
Howdy!
The work load has kept up its intensity and I've still got a million things left to do before university takes a break for Easter later this month. Added to that, I've had to face the dire consequences of a malfunctioning left eye for the past week or so. The eye has forced me to shove in time for regular trips to the doctor and have had to accommodate a crazy schedule for administering medication.
Grr...
Anyway, I'm tuning in to share this particular article I stumbled on the New York Times today. Titled "Darwin's God", the article is a light read on the scientific research that is exploring the birth of the concept of God and how the persisting belief in God and religions may fit within the evolutionary processes that lead to the modern human cognitive machinery. The questions that both the adaptationists and the byproduct theorists are asking are, in my opinion, pretty valid and are questions to which we undoubtedly should seek answers to!
- Darwin’s God (on nytimes.com)
Enjoy.
The work load has kept up its intensity and I've still got a million things left to do before university takes a break for Easter later this month. Added to that, I've had to face the dire consequences of a malfunctioning left eye for the past week or so. The eye has forced me to shove in time for regular trips to the doctor and have had to accommodate a crazy schedule for administering medication.
Grr...Anyway, I'm tuning in to share this particular article I stumbled on the New York Times today. Titled "Darwin's God", the article is a light read on the scientific research that is exploring the birth of the concept of God and how the persisting belief in God and religions may fit within the evolutionary processes that lead to the modern human cognitive machinery. The questions that both the adaptationists and the byproduct theorists are asking are, in my opinion, pretty valid and are questions to which we undoubtedly should seek answers to!
- Darwin’s God (on nytimes.com)
Enjoy.
Tuesday, May 16. 2006
Bananas and God
There are a few interesting comics on the net that I read. "Jesus and Mo" is one that I came across a few months ago. I found the recent entry at the comic on evolution quite amusing. Check it out here
Both Creationists and Evolutionists among you would have probably gotten all fired up by that! Personally, I think evolution is as valid as creationism, if not more valid. Humanity has tended to subscribe to science for all of its "development" and as per science there is supposedly an overwhelming amount of evidence backing evolution theory. Moreover, there are many real world applications making use of evolutionary methods - especially so in the field of artificial intelligence and artificial life. These evolutionary methods work repeatedly and consistently and seem to closely simulate how our real world works. That, however, is not enough to validate and authenticate evolution entirely - atleast not for strict creationists whose belief in creationism stems from a single strand interpretation of something within their belief itself. Nothing more, nothing less. How do you show evidence for creationism without using circular reasoning and ending up in a tautology? Then again, I suppose the same thing could be said about science. *scratches head*
My friend M shed some of his thoughts on the matter a few months ago on his blog. It is an interesting perspective that seems to be primarily intended for creationists - I recommend reading it if you are one.
So what are you: a creationist or a evolutionist?
Both Creationists and Evolutionists among you would have probably gotten all fired up by that! Personally, I think evolution is as valid as creationism, if not more valid. Humanity has tended to subscribe to science for all of its "development" and as per science there is supposedly an overwhelming amount of evidence backing evolution theory. Moreover, there are many real world applications making use of evolutionary methods - especially so in the field of artificial intelligence and artificial life. These evolutionary methods work repeatedly and consistently and seem to closely simulate how our real world works. That, however, is not enough to validate and authenticate evolution entirely - atleast not for strict creationists whose belief in creationism stems from a single strand interpretation of something within their belief itself. Nothing more, nothing less. How do you show evidence for creationism without using circular reasoning and ending up in a tautology? Then again, I suppose the same thing could be said about science. *scratches head*
My friend M shed some of his thoughts on the matter a few months ago on his blog. It is an interesting perspective that seems to be primarily intended for creationists - I recommend reading it if you are one.
So what are you: a creationist or a evolutionist?
Sunday, September 4. 2005
Adam's Curse
I just finished one of the most captivating, enlightening and exciting books I've read lately... no, make that ever! Seriously, this book makes you wonder and belittles you. It also makes you think about a lot of different other things in life...
Whoa. I've been raving on without even mentioning the name of the book eh!? My apologies. The book is called "Adam's Curse", written by Professor Bryan Sykes, a genetist. Mind you, this aint no Harry Potter and aint no LOTR either! It's total non-fiction science narrated in a most engaging style.
The book is about the sexes and goes on from a humble introduction to the animal genetics and the rise of the sexes, especially in humans. After quenching the questions on the need for the sexes, how it came about and why there are only two sexes to be seen, the book then goes onto introduce the X and Y chromosomes. The X and Y chromosome is then chopped into tiny bits, detailing the discoveries of the intricate details of these then elusive sex chromosomes.
This is where it starts to get interesting. The details of the Y chromosome reveal utter truths about itself - its a barren war zone! It's incapable of recombination. It has a high mutation rate. And more importantly (and amazingly), how it was discovered that the default gender of a human baby is always female! A male is produced by the flick of a genetic "switch" by a single gene named SRY, but the story of the sexes goes more deeper. The female X chromosome and the male Y chromosome is ALWAYS at battle with each other. Apparently, this fight for survival lead to many things... including making the Y chromosome resilient, tough and highly aggresive. Prof. Sykes takes the invasions by the Vikings and other conquests by rulers (all of them males of course) as an example of the Y chromosome's need to spread itself and dominate.
In the later chapters, the author explores various ways in which the X chromosome is brutally working to dominate over the Y chromosome and paints a picture of the future for men - which according to him is quite bleak. Then it tells how the X chromosome fought back. How some females seemed to produce more girls than boys. How X chromosomes makes life hard or impossible for Y chromosomes. Like how X chromosomes silently kill Y chromosomes (males) by hindering the performance of the Y chromosone containing sperm, or causing miscarriages for male babies. The diminishing rate of male fertility shown by statistics is also brought up. Gay behaviour is visited as well, discussing whether it maybe genetic or not, whether it is a direct manipulation by the X chromosomes. In effect, the author says, the female X chromosome is winning he evolutionary battle!
He then explores various interventions we could and may make and also how nature - how Gaia - would react. He goes as far as suggesting a future without men entirely and recommends the elimination of the male gender for a more harmonious world! In the finishing pages of the book, he explores how the rapidly mutating and beaten up Y chromosome maybe saved and enhanced to sustain the male sex.
The book is truly truly an eye-opener. It made me think deeper than a philosophy discourse ever made me... Far more thoughts induced in me than I can list here. We obsess about our freedom and intellect, yet genetics proves something more fundamental - some thing far more influential for our behaviour and actions. We are driven by the tiny DNA and chromosomes we carry and they have a lot more say on the choices and decisions we make - unconsciously but surely.
Whoa. I've been raving on without even mentioning the name of the book eh!? My apologies. The book is called "Adam's Curse", written by Professor Bryan Sykes, a genetist. Mind you, this aint no Harry Potter and aint no LOTR either! It's total non-fiction science narrated in a most engaging style.
The book is about the sexes and goes on from a humble introduction to the animal genetics and the rise of the sexes, especially in humans. After quenching the questions on the need for the sexes, how it came about and why there are only two sexes to be seen, the book then goes onto introduce the X and Y chromosomes. The X and Y chromosome is then chopped into tiny bits, detailing the discoveries of the intricate details of these then elusive sex chromosomes.
This is where it starts to get interesting. The details of the Y chromosome reveal utter truths about itself - its a barren war zone! It's incapable of recombination. It has a high mutation rate. And more importantly (and amazingly), how it was discovered that the default gender of a human baby is always female! A male is produced by the flick of a genetic "switch" by a single gene named SRY, but the story of the sexes goes more deeper. The female X chromosome and the male Y chromosome is ALWAYS at battle with each other. Apparently, this fight for survival lead to many things... including making the Y chromosome resilient, tough and highly aggresive. Prof. Sykes takes the invasions by the Vikings and other conquests by rulers (all of them males of course) as an example of the Y chromosome's need to spread itself and dominate.
In the later chapters, the author explores various ways in which the X chromosome is brutally working to dominate over the Y chromosome and paints a picture of the future for men - which according to him is quite bleak. Then it tells how the X chromosome fought back. How some females seemed to produce more girls than boys. How X chromosomes makes life hard or impossible for Y chromosomes. Like how X chromosomes silently kill Y chromosomes (males) by hindering the performance of the Y chromosone containing sperm, or causing miscarriages for male babies. The diminishing rate of male fertility shown by statistics is also brought up. Gay behaviour is visited as well, discussing whether it maybe genetic or not, whether it is a direct manipulation by the X chromosomes. In effect, the author says, the female X chromosome is winning he evolutionary battle!
He then explores various interventions we could and may make and also how nature - how Gaia - would react. He goes as far as suggesting a future without men entirely and recommends the elimination of the male gender for a more harmonious world! In the finishing pages of the book, he explores how the rapidly mutating and beaten up Y chromosome maybe saved and enhanced to sustain the male sex.
The book is truly truly an eye-opener. It made me think deeper than a philosophy discourse ever made me... Far more thoughts induced in me than I can list here. We obsess about our freedom and intellect, yet genetics proves something more fundamental - some thing far more influential for our behaviour and actions. We are driven by the tiny DNA and chromosomes we carry and they have a lot more say on the choices and decisions we make - unconsciously but surely.
