Humans often see ourselves as being separate from nature, but we’re not. Since humans are animals, anything humans do to the environment is a natural process. Skyscrapers and beaver dams differ fundamentally in their scale, material, and function, but not in their nature. Things that are artificial are still natural. The true dichotomy, then, is…
Tag: animals
Video share: Evolutionary Biologist Reacts to Creationist Arguments
This is no ordinary debunk of creationism. Clint of Clint’s Reptiles is extremely generous to creationists and attempts to address their best arguments. He even rephrases each creationist point to make sure he’s understanding it correctly.
How to approach animals
I am no expert by any means, but when I see others interacting with animals I often see several common and easy-to-make mistakes. I want to share here my idea of how to effectively interact with an animal you do not know, especially animals that are not immediately friendly and social. The most important principles…
Stop viewing animals as good or bad
I recently learned that opossums can carry a parasite that can cause serious injury to horses. When looking into it, I also discovered opossums might not eat nearly as many ticks as previously thought. My heart sank reading all this. I previously viewed opossums as a kind of superhero animal, cleaning up the bad stuff…
The geometry of body plans
Let’s talk about evolution. All living organisms require a way to acquire and metabolize food, a way to respirate, and a way to reproduce. Many single-cell organisms like bacteria can eat by engulfing food within their cell, a process called phagocytosis. Algae and plants are autotrophic, meaning they produce their own food. Some simple animals,…
thoughts on mind 