Science, Philosophy and Society
The study of race from a scientific perspective has always been controversial. In the 19th century, studies of skull structure were used to “prove” that different races were at different rungs on the evolutionary ladder – the “inferior” races being more ape-like. Some scientists believed that Africans were a missing link between apes and “true” … Read more
Why do people do things that benefit others but disadvantage themselves? On the surface, altruism seems to be inconsistent with the process of evolution. If we view evolution as a competition in which the winners survive and reproduce at the expense of the losers, then selfishness should create an evolutionary advantage. In fact, this interpretation … Read more
Remember when cans of tuna used to say they were dolphin friendly? Some wise guy would always say, “They’re not friendly to tuna, though, are they?” Of course, we all knew what that was about. Dolphins are intelligent. They form social groups. They communicate with sound. They pass the mirror test. A dolphin can learn … Read more