Here, I explain why Michael Behe's concept of Irreducible Complexity did not impress biologists. To find out how "irreducibly complex" structures evolve, all you have to do is go outside and look around: https://youtu.be/vuinBlXGVw8?si=J6meB...
Tucker Carlson claims evolution is "just a theory". He is wrong. Evolution is an observable fact: youtube.com/shorts/DfWbyU_QFS...
While there is a thing we call "evolutionary theory" which includes all the math and processes known about evolution, evolution is also a directly observable fact.
Nancy from @scibugs has an extremely interesting new video on the convergent evolution of silk in spiders and moths (caterpillars). https://youtu.be/Rhky8HxVQt0?si=tXyIN...
In it, she came up with a really nice analogy for convergent evolution:
If you compare silk as an end product an animal makes, just like a house is an end product contractor makes, you can figure out if silk is convergent evolution (evolved independently at least twice) vs a homologous trait (silk evolved once in the common ancestor of moths and spiders).
When we look closely at spider silk and caterpillar silk, we see that both make "houses", but everything from style, to blueprints, to building blocks, are different. This is convergent evolution!
There are more questions we could ask but the analogy gets us most the way there. I love it!
Daniel Dennett has died. In memory, here's my favorite term he coined: Competence Without Comprehension. It's the antonym to intelligent design.
The process of evolution is competent without comprehension, and so are many of the things it produces. This female Io moth flashes eye spots when threatened. She, apparently, has no idea why this works and doesn't care, so long as she's left alone!
The jungle tour is a go! We have 3 spots left if you want to join: July 16-25 www.evotour.scibugs.info/
Nancy put out a great new video on the "Insect Apocalypse"
Tickets for the evolution tour are now on sale! Spots are filling and the early-bird special ends soon so check it out now if you're thinking of joining! www.evotour.scibugs.info/
Nancy just made a teaser trailer for our upcoming evolution tour in the Amazon Jungle. Check it out!
I made a new video over on Stated Clearly! Check it out.
Also, I'm still alive! I've been focused more on Stated Clearly the past few months but I'll be back to Stated Casually in a few weeks.
Next time you have a long drive or a lot of dishes to do, check out this 2 hour discussion I had with Dr. Brian Gitschlag on how homosexuality is understood in light of biological evolution!
My name is Jon Perry, you may know me from the Stated Clearly YouTube channel where I do science animations intended for use in public classrooms. Because animation is time consuming, and because some issues people have with science, especially evolution, deal with religion and aren't always appropriate for public classroom discussions, I started this second channel to communicate with viewers on a more regular basis.
Here I discuss genetics, evolution, science, and the interplay of science with religion within Western culture. I also do behind the scenes stuff on animation, do silly experiments with my nephew. It's pretty fun. Enjoy!