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Michael Ruse has coined a new term for Spencer's very inappropriate
"survival of the fittest" and that is simply "survival of the most
adequate." Nevertheless, it doesn't really apply to humans anymore because
of our societal structure. We have overcome some aspects of natural
selection.

I second the recommendation of the Sandwalk Adventures. I'm not sure if this
is a good comparison but as a comic book, it does for evolution what
Spiegelman's Maus I and II did for understanding the horrors of the
holocaust. There's a teacher somewhere in the USA that uses comic books to
teach... and another who uses science fiction. I love these ideas. I've been
playing around with my own program using imaginary worlds to teach about our
real one.

As a side note, after reading "Mean Genes" I was quite peturbed to learn my
evolutionary value was all but nil after the age of 30, especially without
any children. My purpose now becomes to help out my siblings with their
children and as Ian informed, to lay down my life for the colony.

Hmmm... either we gals will need go on strike or I'm converting to
creationism.

Amanda


***
Amanda Chesworth, Educational Director
Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
www.csicop.org
www.inquiringminds.org
Skeptical Inquirer Magazine
www.skepticalinquirer.org




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ian Russell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 3:12 PM
Subject: Re: Evolution frantics, semantics and romantics


> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
>
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*
>
> At 17:18 09/06/2005, you wrote:
> >an excellent discussion on fitness.  The author, Jay Hosler, a biology
> >professor at Juniata College in PA reminds his readers that fitness is
> >defined only by how many offspring you have.
>
> ...more precisely, by how many of your genes, or genes closely similar to
> yours, survive in the gene-pool of future generations. Which is why, it
has
> been suggested, natural-selection has favoured our willingness to risk our
> own lives in order to rescue or defend a relative. And why
non-reproductive
> worker ants, which are all sisters, instinctively lay down their lives so
> readily for the colony, safeguarding the future transmission of their own
> genes.
>
>
> [log in to unmask] * http://www.interactives.co.uk
> *
> Give people facts and you feed their minds for an hour.
> Awaken curiosity and they feed their own minds for a lifetime.
> *
> Ian Russell
>
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