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Now we're getting down to something I can cover with elementary school
students! Eric has a good point about how "fit" is perceived. I do sometimes
have occasion to bring up this mistaken concept of "survival of the fittest"
= "who is best at kicking your butt". When we do a live animals/endangered
species class, here's a factoid that opens eyes of kids:

In a one on one fight between you + a tiger, you're in big trouble. And yet,
tigers may very likely be extinct in your lifetime (at least in the wild).
Then hold up a hissing cockroach. This animal represents no threat to you in
a one-on-one, yet its species has been around since before the dinosaurs, is
doing well today, and will very likely outlast humans.

Jonah Cohen
Outreach & Public Programs Manager
Science Center of Connecticut

"On blind faith they place reliance,
what we need more of is science"
           -MC Hawking

-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Siegel [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 11:40 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
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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Speaking of semantics, I am struck by the drift of the word "fit" (as  
in survival of the fittest).  It now synonymous with buff, or tough,  
or strong.  

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