"A curious aspect of the theory of evolution is that everybody thinks he understands it"

Andrew Brown's excellent post on The Guardian Blog yesterday neatly addresses the questions that are often used to question and ridicule the fact of evolution.

As Jacques Monod said in 1974:  "A curious aspect of the theory of evolution is that everybody thinks he understands it" and I think the questions demonstrate this rather neatly.

The problems listed by Brown's correspondent were the usual:

• How come something came from nothing?

• How to generate life from non-life?

• How to create intelligence from non-intelligence?

• Where did information come from?

• How can you have 'design' without a designer?

• How can you have an effect without a cause?

• How can you overcome the second law of thermodynamics?

I'll let you read on to see the answers to the questions in his article which is not long, all phrased very nicely, and all on familiar territory for anyone who has studied the topic at all.

But then you must read to the end and see his coup-de-grace where he expands on his innovative recommendation of:
" . . . American Carl Zimmer, whose book Parasite Rex is a glorious, terrifying, and intermittently disgusting romp through the roots, the intestines, and even the eyeballs of almost all living things to discover what else lives inside them. These parasites are unquestionably designed for their purpose . . .   
Read the rest


Small note:  Thanks to Petra for this link!