Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
A Revelation from Hippos
Last night I was watching a National Geographic program with my son about the hippopotamus called ‘Ultimate Hippo’. A large part of the show revolved around its behavior and habitat, but they also spent some time discussing the evolutionary history of the hippo. What they proved was both astonishing and very profound, at least to me
In the show, they showed that the closest relative to the hippo was in fact the whale! Scientists showed that hippo DNA is closer to whale DNA than monkey DNA is to human DNA. In fact, whale skeletons share similar bones to hippos, the blowhole of a whale functions in exactly the same way as the nostrils of a hippo, and whales even have stubs of hind leg bones inside their bodies.
The first thing that came to my mind as I watched this was the human tailbone, and how that bone is to us what those tiny leg bones are to the whale - physical evidence of ancient ancestry.
As science discovers and learns from more and more fossils, they are finding irrefutable evidence that shows one species transitioning into another. The amount of evidence, combined with the scientific accuracy of the tools we have leaves me baffled as to how anyone can doubt the accuracy of the theories of evolution……AND YET…
Also on the same channel is a show airing tonight called ‘Is Darwin Wrong?’ The premise of the show is to examine Darwin's theory of evolution from the perspective of those who criticize it. I have not watched it, but I am planning to.
My hope is that the naming of the show is merely a marketing ploy to get those who refute creationism to tune in. If National Geographic is true to its charter, then the content will burst their bubble or cause them to change the channel so that their ignorant and fragile beliefs can remain intact.
As the religious right's stranglehold on government weakens, I am seeing more and more shows and books proving evolution aimed at the general population. Hopefully this trend will continue, and I'm going to use my influence (AKA my hard-earned cash) to support those who stay true to science.
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Was Darwin Wrong?
When I first saw the title of the program, I was also wary. I didn't catch the whole show, but I saw most of it, and I would say it was one of the best, most straight forward explanations of evolution I have seen on TV. It didn't bog down on creationism at all, it focused entirely on evolution. They basically looked at Darwin's biggest claims and examined them one by one. The answer, of course, was "No, Darwin was not wrong". It was also not the least bit negative toward religion, because it didn't talk about religion. Not that I would mind that, but I think the show was geared toward young people that have never seriously considered the facts, but reject evolution because that's all they've ever been told.
I definetely recommend this show
Yes, a fascinating topic
More information about the transition of whales and other cetaceans from land-roving to marine-based animals can be found in At the Water's Edge, written by Carl Zimmer, who blogs at The Loom. Carl Zimmer writes science columns for the New York Times and has written a number of popular science books. I also recommend his book Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea.
Is (Was) Darwin Wrong?
That question was also the title of a National Geographic cover article - November 2004 - to which the author, David Quammen, responded with a resounding "NO...the evidence for evolution is overwhelming". I'm afraid the the people who really need to watch it won't. Should be a good show.
That's cool!
I had no idea that whales and hippos were so closely related. Very cool.