Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with darwin

the ---- effect

moorooka — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:45:30 -0800

What is the name of the effect, in evolutionary biology, whereby acquired behavioral characteristics that lead to reproductive fitness can result in the selection of predispositions toward acquiring these characteristics? I remember learning about it but I forgot the name. It sounds a bit Lamarckian but it's not.

What's not working yet in the Theory of Natural Selection?

dpcoffin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:13:53 -0800

When current/recent SCIENCE challenges Darwin, what does it say? I'm a layman interested to hear what not-Creationist, not-ID, not-paranormal challengers (or boundary-pushers) to natural selection might be exploring these days, explained for general readers… "13 Things that Don't Make Sense: The Darwin Version!" would be perfect. Failing that, are there any book/lecture summaries, web-sites, authors, etc. out there trying to let the person on the street know what some or any serious-science folk might feel is resisting explanation by, or still not quite fitting into, natural selection as the sole mechanism for the shaping of life forms and the building of symbiotic relationships?

There appear to be plenty of "How it all works" writings; are there any "Here's what doesn't quite work yet" books, chapters, footnotes, etc., either from within the ranks, or from other mainstream scientific disciplines?

Or perhaps: What are the still-unsolved, bleeding-edge aspects of the theory?

Or even: How has the theory had to stretch lately to keep pace with new findings?

Thanks!

Case-Insensitive LS on Mac OS X?

WCityMike — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:03:27 -0800

Unix mavens: is there a way for ls on a Mac OS X install to alphabetize its listing case-insensitively, while still preserving any other ls flags you may be using? If not, does another ls variant offered by anybody offer case-insensitivity, and if so, how can I supplant one with the other, without risk of any harm to anything else on my system? (If it matters, my shell of choice is tcsh.)

How do I make the most of my time in Kakadu?

Dasein — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:00:46 -0800

How can we make the most of our time in Kakadu National Park? We fly into Darwin on Friday July 10 around 3pm, and have an early flight out on the morning of July 15, so we'd need to be back in Darwin the night of the 14th. We'd like to spend as much of our time as possible seeing Kakadu. I'm wondering whether a guided tour would be the best option, or whether we should rent a car and do a self-guided tour, with the exception of the Jim Jim falls, which I understand you need to go on a tour to see. We'd rather not spend the money on a 4WD hire.

I'd really appreciate any advice or experience, good or bad, that would help us make the most of our time in Kakadu. Thanks in advance for your help!

Australian Vacation: Round Two

adamk — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:26:18 -0800

AustraliaFilter: The hive mind helped me plan a very enjoyable trip to Australia in April 2008. I had such a good time I'd like to return this October/November for another few weeks and try some new places. Suggestions/advice please! I'm am an American guy based in Los Angeles. I'll be 26 when this trip starts. Let's assume I'll be single and traveling alone.

Last year's 17-day adventure consisted of stays in 4 cities, flying Qantas between them. Here's what I did:

- Sydney (5 days): Bridge Climb, Taronga Zoo, Aquarium, Bondi Beach
- Brisbane (2 days): GoMA
- Cairns (5 days): Overnight boat trip diving the reef, bungy jumping, sitting on my butt
- Melbourne (5 days): Stayed in St. Kilda, Melbourne vs. Carlton at the MCG, music at the Espy, various sightseeing

I enjoyed the entire trip, but I came down sick in Brisbane and felt crummy and didn't get to explore much. I only scratched the surface of each city, and I obviously missed out on many other cities I wanted to travel to. Also, I think that I spent a bit too much time in transit for a trip of that length.

This year's trip would likely be 20-25 days long, beginning at a time to be determined in October. I'd likely fly in/out of some combination of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and I'd like to limit myself to 2 or 3 domestic flights, using car/rail day trips to explore neighboring attractions.

I enjoy a mix of busy cities with lots of culture and things to do/see, natural landmarks, and lazy beaches where I can relax and read. I'm a SCUBA diver, and spent a few days diving the Great Barrier Reef last time. If there's decent diving anywhere else, I'm interested in it. I like to stay in hostels that have activities and bars, to help with meeting new people. I'm happy to look at art, listen to music, take in some sporting events, and enjoy some good food and drink. I'll be on paid vacation, so I'll have money to spend.

Some options I'm considering include Perth, Alice Springs (or someplace I can get a feel for the Outback), Darwin, Byron Bay (and other East Coast beach spots), and perhaps a few more days in Sydney or Melbourne (probably on the way in or out of the country).

Obviously some of these places are FAR away from each other, and I've just complained about how I thought my last trip involved a bit too much time in transit. However, if the destination is worth spending 5-7 days at, I'm fine with it since I have more time to spare than last year.

So, any fun events to attend in October/November? I welcome all itinerary/activity suggestions, links to other threads or online resources, or tips in general. Who knows, I may come back a third time, perhaps for a few months!

Me fail English? That's unpossible!

shaka, when the walls fell — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:19:25 -0800

I have an essay due. I have to write to what extent I agree or disagree with the following sentence: "In The Descent of Man, Darwin noted that human beings, for all their sensibilities and “god-like intellect”, still bear in their bodily frame the indelible stamp of their lowly origin." I'm having ESL problems, because I understand (I think) what each word means, but I don't understand what the sentence put together is saying. Can anyone explain it to me?

What's with the tall bikes?

elquien — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:25:37 -0800

I can't believe I'm wasting my question on this, but here goes: why do people ride those tall bikes? I see the tall bikes all over my city, and they drive me up the wall. The riders always seem to be zipping in and out of traffic, and some girl fell off a bridge last year riding one. So, why? What's the attraction? Is it some anti-car-society thing I'm missing? Why not a normal sized bike?

Will someone be missing breakfast?

Optamystic — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 21:23:43 -0800

As I type this, my lovely cat is having kittens (literally). I am having a few myself (not literally). I'm a little worried because... ...she only has four, um, mature (?) nipples, but she just had her fifth kitten. And I think there's at least another one in there. Should I be worried about the cuddly little bastards?

Help my Dad celebrate Christmas by poking gentle fun at Christians

ewiar — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 19:44:03 -0800

SomewhatObscureGiftFilter: I'd like to buy a Darwin Fish bumper plaque/emblem, and I'd like to have it by December 24. I'm in Ontario (Niagara region). The online options I've found have slow or super-expensive shipping to Canada -- anyone know of a bricks-and-mortar source?

Baby snatching across the years

selton — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 17:14:19 -0800

Suppose it was possible to move between 2006 and thousands/millions of years ago. And suppose I snatched a baby from a 2006 maternity ward and swapped it with a baby born in the year 0006 as they lay in their maternity ward. Would those children being born 2000 yrs apart stand out from their peers as they grew up and became adults and if so in what ways?

Suppose that 2,000 year experiment didn't show any difference: how far back in time would I have to go to see an obvious difference between the babies as they grew up?