Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin’s ‘tree of life’ gets a new look
The Tree of Life proposed by Charles Darwin in the 19th century depicts different forms of life diverging from one another as they evolve down through successive generations. But discoveries of new life forms and the phenomenon of horizontal gene transfer indicate life can also evolve through convergence.
Rhymes With Australopithecus
British poet Ruth Padel shares Charles Darwin’s DNA — she’s his great-great granddaughter. Inspired by the life of her (relatively) early relative, this descendant of the Descent of Man author pays tribute to her forefather in verse to commemorate the 150th anniversary of On The Origin of Species and the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth. […]
Poetic Recycling
With the new decade fast-approaching, I can’t help but think about reinvention.Studio 360has done several segments that take dusty old ideas and wipe them clean with poetry. Recycling them into verse can reveal surprises. Here are some of my favorites. Susan B.A. Somers-Willet created poems based on the impoverished mothers of Troy, Michigan. I especially […]
Spencer Wells
Where did we come from? Evolutionary biologist Spencer Wells is pretty close to the answer. He’s the National Geographic “Explorer-in-Residence” and heads an initiative called the Genographic Project. His new book is called Pandora’s Seed. By collecting DNA samples from people around the world, he’s tracing the paths of human migration, and he’s uncovered some […]
Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
“Set the sails; I feel the winds a’stirring.” So begins the song, “Charlie Darwin,” by the rock band The Low Anthem. Frontman Ben Knox Miller describes how the band came up with the tune and its darker message, “Who could heed the words of Charlie Darwin? Fighting for a system built to fail.”
