Modern Wisdom #960 - Dr Jerry Coyne - The Spiciest Ideas Of Evolutionary Biology
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Jun 28, 2025 
Jerry Coyne, an esteemed evolutionary biologist and author of 'Why Evolution is True', dives into the spiciest ideas surrounding evolutionary theory. He discusses the importance of speciation and the factors that maintain species identity, including reproductive barriers. The conversation takes a turn towards the influence of ideology on evolutionary biology, challenging misconceptions about race and gender. Coyne also critiques contemporary academic trends, stressing the need for objective scientific discourse amidst ideological pressures.
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Understanding Speciation and Species
- Speciation explains why nature is "lumpy" with discrete species, not a continuous spectrum.
- Reproductive isolation barriers maintain species separation despite continuous evolution.
Political Divide on Evolution Acceptance
- The right tends to deny evolution more than the left, though both sides misuse or dispute aspects of it.
- About 71% of Americans reject fully naturalistic evolution, showing widespread resistance.
Evolutionary Psychology's Scientific Growth
- Evolutionary psychology is maturing from storytelling to a scientific field with testable predictions.
- Testing evolutionary hypotheses on behavior remains challenging but increasingly viable.
