news about evolution

I read this a great article from February's Discover Magazine on Michigan State University’s work with evolving digital organisms, nicely proving the mechanics of natural selection, but I just recently came across this nice summary at Skeptico’s blog. Another discouraging setback for those proponents of intelligent design (boo-hoo). For those people you might run across who have trouble understanding exactly what a "theory" is, the Washington Post has a nice piece. It explains that in common usage, the word "theory" means a hunch or conjecture (which in science is called a hypothesis), while in science "theories"

"...are talking about scientific concepts that have been so
thoroughly tested that they are very unlikely to change.
Theories are the results of decades or centuries of scientific
effort. They draw on many interconnected observations and
ideas. They are the end products of science, not stages on
the way to the truth."

The article goes on to elucidate why the theory of evolution is not a hypothesis, how creationism is not supported by any empirical evidence, and provides a sidebar on the origin of intelligent design. It’s Tuesday – you’ve recovered from the lack of weekend intellectual exercise, and your brain isn’t too worn out yet – go read this stuff.

If you need one more tidbit of non-scholarly material, go check out this week’s Carnival of the Cats. Kady is now insufferably full of herself because the host enrevanche called her adorable.