“Eat your peas, Gregor”

July 20, 2011

Gregor Mendel was born July 20 in 1822.

Google’s doodle honors the man now generally regarded as the “father of modern genetics.”  The Washington Post blogs note, “Rare is the monk who gets to be celebrated for passing down his genes.”

Oblivious to Mendel’s work and significance, and to much else in the world of knowledge, the Texas State Board of Education debates how to frustrate the teaching of evolution with hearings in Austin tomorrow, and a vote on supplementary materials to texts in biology on Friday, July 22.

Mendel would urge, pray for Texas and the children who will be saddled with the decision of the Texas SBOE.

Look up something about Mendel.  Maybe we could all learn something from him.

Google doodle - gregormendel11-hp

Google Doodle honoring Fr. Gregor Mendel, "father of modern genetics"

6 Comments | Biology, Evolution, Genetics, History, Science | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

How genetics works

February 28, 2010

Genetics, how it works - gag photo from 9gagDOTcom 13068_700bReally? 

Really sad thing: This photo’s comic explanation is deeper and more accurate than the average creationist or other denizen of the Discovery Institute.

Tip of the old scrub brush to 9Gag.com.

2 Comments | Evolution, Genetics, Humor, photography | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Is this list really the top 10 signs of evolution in humans?

January 18, 2009

Listverse has a list called “The top 10 signs of evolution in modern man.”

It’s a decent, well-intentioned list, but is it really the “top 10?”  What about DNA?  Shouldn’t our relationships to other creatures as demonstrated by DNA make at least the top 10 list?

Here’s the list:

10.  Goose bumps
9.  Jacobson’s Organ
8.  Junk DNA
7.  Extra ear muscles
6.  Plantaris muscle
5.  Wisdom teeth
4.  Third eyelid
3.  Darwin’s point
2.  Coccyx
1.  Appendix

I think there are some difficulties with the list, too.  There are minor problems, such as calling vestigial DNA “Junk DNA” when we know much of it still functions.  And there are major problems, like missing the ancestry aspects of DNA.  The appendix is known to play roles in the immune system, so some of the claims appear dated.

But I still wonder:   Are these the real top 10? How about our inablity to manufacture vitamin C?   How about the vagus nerve’s loop from the head down to the heart and back up?

What do you think, Dear Reader?  If we make a list of the top 10 signs of evolution in modern humans, what goes on that list?  Please include links in your post, if you have them (the spam filter will kick in at five links, so let me know if you’ve got more than five).

And, is there any value to such a list?

Tip of the old scrub brush to Gnomestrath.

Resources:

4 Comments | Anthropology, Archaeology, Biology, Evolution, Paleontology, Science | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell