Clipmarks | Evolution Clips

God or Darwin? some statistics...

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:58:25 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: though i used the same headline as the article, i do not agree to it. Evolution is not equal to religion and they are merely two different perspectives of the same reality. Each one portrays a different worldview, a different world, a different view. the direction in religion is one of preservation, maintaining the existing order as it , whilst in evolution the dynamics are in constant motion of exploring new orders which by nature are transitory.

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

God or Darwin? The world in evolution beliefs

Find out where on earth only 8% of people believe in evolution

The British Council has asked, with the help of Ipsos MORI, over ten thousand adults across ten countries from China to the USA, just what they think of evolution.

The results show that the majority of adults surveyed have heard of
Charles Darwin and know at least a little about his theory of
evolution. But they also show that there are significant minorities of people who either want nothing to do with evolution - and think it should either not be taught in schools or alongside creationism.

Beliefs in evolution

Countries

Heard of Darwin

Agree the scientific evidence for evolution exists

Think it is possible to believe in a God and evolution simultaneously

Argentina 86 44 62 China 90 55 39 Egypt 38 8 45 Great Britain 91 51 54 India 62 38 85 Mexico 91 52 65 Russia 93 39 54 South Africa 27 8 54 Spain 72 39 46 USA 84 33 53

Tags: evolution, darwin, religion

Stephen Hawking: "Humans Have Entered a New Stage of Evolution"

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:43:10 GMT

clipped by: chestnut501
clipper's remarks: We have entered a new phase of evolution. "At first, evolution proceeded by natural selection, from random mutations. This Darwinian phase, lasted about three and a half billion years, and produced us, beings who developed language, to exchange information."

But what distinguishes us from our cave man ancestors is the knowledge that we have accumulated over the last ten thousand years, and particularly, Hawking points out, over the last three hundred.

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

In the last ten thousand years the human species has been in what Hawking calls, "an external transmission phase," where the internal record of information, handed down to succeeding generations in DNA, has not changed significantly. "But the external record, in books, and other long lasting forms of storage," Hawking says, "has grown enormously.

we are now entering a new phase, of what Hawking calls "self designed evolution," in which we will be able to change and improve our DNA. "At first," he continues "these changes will be confined to the repair of genetic defects, like cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy.

I am sure that during the next century, people will discover how to modify both intelligence, and instincts like aggression."

If the human race manages to redesign itself, to reduce or eliminate the risk of self-destruction, we will probably reach out to the stars and colonize other planets.

Tags: science, evolution, internal, external, neuroscience, biology, stephen-hawking

WHEN OUIR BRAINS SHORT- CIRCUIT

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:58:10 GMT

clipped by: ellington

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

When Our Brains Short-Circuit

Our political system sometimes produces such skewed results that it’s difficult not to blame bloviating politicians. But maybe the deeper problem lies in our brains.

Evidence is accumulating that the human brain systematically misjudges certain kinds of risks. In effect, evolution has programmed us to be alert for snakes and enemies with clubs, but we aren’t well prepared to respond to dangers that require forethought.

If you come across a garter snake, nearly all of your brain will light up with activity as you process the “threat.” Yet if somebody tells you that carbon emissions will eventually destroy Earth as we know it, only the small part of the brain that focuses on the future — a portion of the prefrontal cortex — will glimmer.

Tags: bloviating, politiciians

The Felid Purr: A Bio-Mechanical Healing Mechanism

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:25:35 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks: Given the data on anabolic frequencies, fracture and healing research, the exact match of the frequencies and amplitudes of the cat's purrs to vibrational therapy research, time proven adages, biomechanical therapy, studies on tendon and muscle repair and Dr. Cook's study, it is certainly not a leap of faith to speculate that the cat's purr is a healing mechanism. Having a natural way to increase strength, and decrease healing time, would indeed be very advantageous and would explain the purr's development.

Clip Source: www.animalvoice.com

The Felid Purr: A bio-mechanical healing mechanism

For the purr to exist in different cat species over time, geographical isolation etc. there would likely have to be something very important (survival mechanism) about the purr. There is also would have to be a very good reason for energy expenditure (in this case creation of the purr), when one is physically stressed or ill.

There is also an old veterinary adage still repeated in veterinary schools which states, "If you put a cat and a bunch of broken bones in the same room, the bones will heal."

Vibrations between 20-140 Hz are therapeutic for bone growth/fracture healing, pain relief/swelling reduction, wound healing, muscle growth and repair/tendon repair, mobility of joints and the relief of dyspnea.

Is it possible that evolution has provided the felines of this world with a natural healing mechanism for bones and other organs? Researchers at Fauna Communications believe so.

cat purr at 150 Hertz

cat purr at 100 Hertz

Nanny Camera is easy to use.

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:12:03 GMT

clipped by: loise_faurote
clipper's remarks: Coherent expansion is the basic factor for the fulfilling evolution of any institute or business

Clip Source: hottestelectronicgadgets.net

Coherent expansion is the basic factor for the fulfilling evolution of any institute or business

Life om pictures: Michael Jackson

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:28:52 GMT

clipped by: brightlight4
clipper's remarks: I find this evolution in pictures quite fascinating, watching his physical change of facial features and his change of skin colour too. Was that all wanted or due to illness? I never followed that up, I was not that mad about Michael Jackson.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Life in pictures: Michael Jackson

Myanmar fossil may shed light on evolution

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:48:16 GMT

clipped by: A53GG4

Clip Source: www.usatoday.com

Myanmar fossil may shed light on evolution

By Michael Casey, Associated Press

Fossils recently discovered in Myanmar could prove that the common ancestors of humans, monkeys and apes evolved from primates in Asia, rather than Africa, researchers contend in a study released Wednesday.

However, other scientists said that the finding, while significant, won't end the debate over the origin of anthropoids — the primate grouping that includes ancient species as well as modern humans.

The pieces of 38 million-year-old jawbones and teeth found near Bagan in central Myanmar in 2005 show typical characteristics of primates, said Dr. Chris Beard, a paleontologist at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh and a member of the team that found the fossils.

His team determined that the fossil was 38 million years old, making it several million years older than any anthropoid found in Africa and the second-oldest discovered in Asia.

Tags: archaeology

darwinian selection of the observable universe

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:38:09 GMT

clipped by: pascual
clipper's remarks: phy

Clip Source: physicsworld.com

The emerging paradigm for explaining the special properties of our universe is, in a sense, an attempt to live up to the standard set by Darwinian evolution: to provide a natural (as opposed to supernatural) non-accidental explanation for the apparently very unlikely specialness of the universe and its laws. Surprisingly, it involves the same two central principles: an enormous landscape of possibilities and random mutation. It even involves a mechanism similar to DNA.

Tags: cosmology

Global systemic crisis in summer 2009: The cumulative impact of three « rogue waves »

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:53:04 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie
clipper's remarks: A crash by the end of the Summer? It is bold to make such a specific forecast. Still, the facts indicate that it has to happen sometime, why not then? Suddenly, people will see that the Emperor has no clothes -- and that they are lucky to have any themselves.

Note, yet another hockey stick graph indicating phase change.

Clip Source: www.leap2020.eu

As anticipated by LEAP/E2020 as early as October 2008, on the eve of summer 2009, the question of the US and UK capacity to finance their unbridled public deficits has become the central question of international debates, thus paving the way for these two countries to default on their debt by the end of this summer.

This evolution is likely to catch large numbers of economic and financial players on the wrong foot who decided to believe in today’s mainstream media operation of “euphorisation”.

LEAP/E2020 believes that, instead of « green shoots »

what will appear on the horizon is a group of three destructive waves

1. Wave of massive unemployment: Three different dates of impact according to the countries in America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa
2. Wave of serial corporate bankruptcies: companies, banks, housing, states, counties, towns
3. Wave of terminal crisis for the US Dollar, US T-Bond and GBP, and the return of inflation

Tags: 1-crisis, 1-depression, 1-exchange rates, 1-poverty, 2-increase, 2-risks, 3-forecast, 4-intl

Dawkins sets up kids’ camp to groom atheists

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:15:20 GMT

clipped by: Efrain Alvarado

Clip Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

GIVE Richard Dawkins a child for a week’s summer camp and he will try to give you an atheist for life.

The author of The God Delusion is helping to launch Britain’s first summer retreat for non-believers, where children will have lessons in evolution and sing along to John Lennon’s Imagine.

The five-day camp in Somerset (motto: “It’s beyond belief”) is for children aged eight to 17 and will rival traditional faith-based breaks run by the Scouts and church groups.

Budding atheists will be given lessons to arm themselves in the ways of rational scepticism. There will be sessions in moral philosophy and evolutionary biology along with more conventional pursuits such as trekking and tug-of-war. There will also be a £10 prize for the child who can disprove the existence of the mythical unicorn.

Instead of singing Kumbiya and other campfire favourites, they will sit around the embers belting out “Imagine there’s no heaven . . . and no religion too”.

Tags: atheism, children

The lesson of Amazon.com: start simple and evolve.

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:59:47 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: Though it's taken me a number of years to actually practice this discipline, i have always believed that simple, narrowly defined user experiences are prerequisites for building something big. Google, twitter and amazon are great examples of that.

Clip Source: www.fastcompany.com

Evolution is not merely a theory for Amazon; it's part of its intelligent design. Originating as a single-cell online bookseller in July 1995, Amazon has, over its 14-year history, developed into a monstrous cybermall, offering millions of products and accumulating a market capitalization north of $34 billion. It peddles everything from music, movies, and video games to apparel, gadgets, gardening tools, lab equipment, health and beauty aids, even sex toys and the bonglike "mini hookah."

Tags: amazon, jeff bezos

The Evolutionary Enigma of Dream Content

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:11:08 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: A question which is more interesting then the possible answers...
that is an advantage

Clip Source: www.scientificamerican.com

Dreaming of Nonsense: The Evolutionary Enigma of Dream Content

it’s relatively easy to see why sleep itself would have conferred evolutionary advantages (avoiding nocturnal predators, recharging our neural batteries and so on), it’s not entirely clear why we don’t simply sleep without dreaming.

Barrett shrugs off the better-known psychoanalytic theories of dreams

highlights the major contemporary, biologically informed theories

Brain Conditioning

stimulate the brain or to keep it “in shape” during prolonged periods of inactivity

replenish neurotransmitters

rest a particular brain area

Steven Pinker writes, “For all we know, dreaming might be a kind of screen saver in which it doesn’t really matter what the content is as long as certain parts of the brain are active.”

External Vigilance

Threat Simulation Theory

allowed our ancestors to simulate problem-solving strategies for genuine, waking life threats

Costly Signaling Theory

Dreaming as Problem-Solving

Clip Source: www.scientificamerican.com

notable figures

insights through dreams

Tags: dream, evolution

Forgotten evolutionist lives in Darwin's shadow

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:38:11 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Interesting.

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

It is on this site, in a long-gone thatched hut, that Alfred Russel Wallace is believed to have spent weeks in 1855 writing a seminal paper on the theory of evolution. Yet he is largely unknown outside scientific circles today, overshadowed by Charles Darwin, whom most people credit as the father of a theory that explains the origins of life through how plants and animals evolve.

Unlike Wallace, Darwin spent two decades developing his theory of natural selection and had far more evidence to back it up, as presented in his defining work, "The Origin of Species," published 150 years ago. But Wallace reached the same conclusion before Darwin published his findings, and Beccaloni contends that Wallace deserves equal billing.

Wallace, a British beetle and bird collector, set off for Singapore in 1854. Eight years and 14,000 miles (23,000 kilometers) later, he returned to England as one of the most celebrated biologists after Darwin.

Tags: evolutionists

No Smiting

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:09:28 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks: But God still has some growing up to do.

Wright argues that much of the problem isn’t with the religious texts or teachings themselves, but with the social conditions — the “facts on the ground” — that shape the sort of God we choose to create.

Change the world, and you change the God.

“If history naturally pushes people toward moral improvement, toward moral truth, and their God, as they conceive their God, grows accordingly, becoming morally richer, then maybe this growth is evidence of some higher purpose, and maybe — conceivably — the source of that purpose is worthy of the name divinity.”

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

No Smiting

God has mellowed. The God that most Americans worship occasionally gets upset about abortion and gay marriage, but he is a softy compared with the Yahweh of the Hebrew Bible. That was a warrior God, savagely tribal, deeply insecure about his status and willing to commit mass murder to show off his powers.

In his brilliant new book, “The Evolution of God,” Robert Wright tells the story of how God grew up.

proposing that the increasing goodness of God reflects the increasing goodness of our species.

each of the major Abrahamic faiths has been forced toward moral growth

Wright makes it clear that he is tracking people’s conception of the divine, not the divine itself.

Wright also denies the specialness of any faith.

what matters is the choices that the people make

Cultural sensibilities shift according to changes in human dynamics, and these shape the God that people worship.

it is not God who evolves. It is us — God just comes along for the ride.

Self-organization in biological systems - Shulman

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:18:56 GMT

clipped by: rveranes
clipper's remarks: Carries biological systems and evolution further - references Stuart Kaufman, The Origins of Order, 1993

Clip Source: books.google.com

About this book

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Living at the edge of chaos

By Helene Shulman