The vigorous science of evolution

I received a letter the other day that got me thinking. "I've often wondered why there is no tolerance amongst evolution proponents for those espousing intelligent design/creationism," it began. The writer claimed that "some well-known evolutionary scientists" had "sunk to new lows in their attacks on ID/C believers." And he said that as he pondered evolution he had some questions. His basic question: As a mass of cells supposedly crawls out of the primordial soup, "How did this organism know it needed lungs and how did it know what lungs were and how did it know how the lungs should be developed? The same goes for eyes, legs, arms, brains, etc. etc. et al."

I sighed. I was about to toss his missive but then gave it second look. His tone was thoughtful, not angry. I decided to try to answer. To his first question, I began, "All these things have been explained countless times by evolutionary biologists." I told him that may explain their seeming impatience when they encounter another round of creationists' "hackneyed, debunked, long-proven-wrong ideas." Though true, I doubt if that pleased him. As to his second question, I did my best. "Evolution doesn't require an organism or its components 'needing to know' anything," I began. I then tried to explain a bit about how evolution, "an enormously creative process," actually works over time.

I don't know if the letter writer, who acknowledged being a believer in intelligent design/creationism, was open to my attempt to answer, I hope so. I told him I hoped that those like him who distrust evolution would at least "read up a little bit from any good popular science book about evolution." I gave him a dozen examples.

But it got me to realizing how important it is for evolutionary biologists to write for the general public. Stephen Jay Gould was a master; so is Richard Dawkins. But we need more working scientists to go beyond their research and explain evolution. We need them to share with the public the exciting new discoveries in their field, so people understand that evolutionary scientists aren't defending a stodgy ideology but doing vigorous, cutting-edge science.

Sean Carroll is one of a new breed of biologists doing just that. A professor of genetics at the University of Wisconsin and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Carroll is about to publish his second book on evolution in a year. We excerpted the first, on the evolution of form, in our special issue on Evolution and the ID Wars (November/December 2005). In this issue the lead article, "The Bloodless Fish of Bouvet Island," is from his forthcoming book The Making of the Fittest." DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution. I think you will enjoy it.

I asked Sean how he could possibly have a second book coming out so soon after his first. "I realized 1 was pregnant with two books as Endless Forms Most Beautiful was wrapping up, and I just kept writing," he answered. "I felt there were so many new strong stories unfolding from the DNA record that I should tell them."

This is our 30th anniversary of the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. CSICOP founder and chairman Paul Kurtz in this issue provides an extensive personal review of SI over those thirty years. Longtime readers may enjoy recalling with Paul many familiar moments; I hope new readers will be entertained and gain some new perspective. Your reactions are invited.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning