Episode 104: 3rd Way Evolution vs the Critics

Mar 18, 2025

The discussion dives deep into the critiques of 3rd way evolution, spotlighting insights from notable biologists like James Shapiro and Zach Hancock. It challenges the relevance of Neo-Darwinism, addressing the complexities of genetic variation and the role of epigenetics. The conversation also explores traditional and contemporary perspectives on evolution, including debunking the myth of junk DNA. Additionally, they examine the evolution of cancer cells, posing significant questions on genetic theories and the dynamics of adaptation, making for a thought-provoking discourse.

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INSIGHT

Genes' Self-Modification

Modern biologists acknowledge genes can self-modify, like the immune system.
However, they don't consider this a central evolutionary mechanism.

ANECDOTE

Jenkins' Wolf Study

Fleming Jenkins' wolf study challenged Darwin's theory by showing favorable traits could be diluted.
This led Darwin to remove the example from later editions of "Origin of the Species."

INSIGHT

Darwin's Lamarckian Theory

Darwin's pangenesis theory, involving gemmules carrying information from body to germ cells, included Lamarckian elements.
Experiments by Galton and Weissman disproved this theory.

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Dennis Noble is Wrong About Evolution

Zach B. Hancock

Was the Watchmaker Blind or Was She One-Eyed?

Ray Noble

The Sources of Adapted Variation

Charlesworth et al.

The Mocking Memes

Evan Lewis Sheehan

The Fabric of Reality

The Science of Parallel Universes--and Its Implications

David Deutsch

In 'The Fabric of Reality', David Deutsch explores a four-strand theory of everything, integrating Hugh Everett's many-worlds interpretation of quantum physics, Karl Popper's epistemology, Alan Turing's theory of computation, and Richard Dawkins's evolutionary theory. The book discusses the implications of these theories, including the concept of the multiverse, quantum computers, time travel, and the ultimate fate of the universe. Deutsch argues that these theories, when taken literally and jointly, reveal a unified, objective, and comprehensible fabric of reality.

The Beginning of Infinity

Explanations That Transform the World

David Deutsch

In this groundbreaking book, David Deutsch argues that explanations have a fundamental place in the universe and that improving them is the basic regulating principle of all successful human endeavor. The book takes readers on a journey through various fields of science, history of civilization, art, moral values, and the theory of political institutions. Deutsch explains how we form new explanations and drop bad ones, and discusses the conditions under which progress, which he argues is potentially boundless, can and cannot happen. He emphasizes the importance of good explanations, which he defines as those that are 'hard to vary' and have 'reach', and argues that these explanations are central to the Enlightenment way of thinking and to all scientific and philosophical progress.

The selfish gene

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Richard Dawkins

In 'The Selfish Gene', Richard Dawkins presents a gene-centred view of evolution, arguing that genes are the primary units of selection and that they behave selfishly to ensure their own replication. The book explains concepts such as kin selection, inclusive fitness, and the evolutionarily stable strategy, highlighting how these mechanisms can lead to altruistic behaviors in organisms. Dawkins emphasizes that the 'selfishness' of genes is a metaphorical concept, describing their evolutionary consequences rather than any intentional behavior. The book has been influential in shaping modern evolutionary thought and remains relevant today[1][3][5].