Rodar à Esquerda

Rodar à Esquerda

(Publicado no jornal O Primeiro de Janeiro a 29/11/2007)O actual governo “devia governar um bocadinho mais à esquerda”, afirmou Mário Soares. Respondeu Vitalino Canas: "O PS governa à esquerda e…
Natural Selection Is Group Selection!

Natural Selection Is Group Selection!

The debate over gene selection versus group or multi-level selection continues unabated in biological circles, and no end appears in sight. Despite a resurgence of interest in group selection, the…
All about eye evolution

All about eye evolution

The most recent issue of Evolution: Education and Outreach is now available free online. This is a special issue devoted to the evolution of eyes. You may recognize some of the names in the table of…
The Real Difference Between Cats and Dogs

The Real Difference Between Cats and Dogs

A Duke University study suggests that evolution can behave as differently as dogs and cats. While the dogs depend on an energy-efficient style of four-footed running over long distances to catch…
The Vatican and evolution: the usual crap

The Vatican and evolution: the usual crap

The news coming out of the recent, and much trumpeted, Vatican-sponsored conference on evolution isn’t that good, according to a brief article that appeared in Science magazine on November 14.…
On Race

On Race

I’ve recently touched on the delicate topic of human nature. Now it's the turn of the even more inflammatory subject of race. The occasion is provided by a short commentary in Science (1),…
Is there such a thing as human nature?

Is there such a thing as human nature?

A couple of years ago I co-taught a course in philosophy and science with a colleague in the Philosophy department at Stony Brook University. At some point the issue of “human nature” came up, and my…