Adaptation ≠ evolution. Wait, since when?

Republican congressman Jack Kingston (GA) claims he didn't come from no monkey.



Now, I'm fully convinced he laughed as he was saying it because he knew it was the dumbest thing he'd said up to that point. There's something fundamentally wrong with the narrative when the people we elect (or you elect, there in the South) don't comprehend basic science. You can't weasel your way into votes from educated folk by claiming you're concerned about antibiotic-resistant bacteria while simultaneously denying evolution. You can't be in charge of voting on others' education or complex science policy if you don't understand simple ideas that actually affect real people. I can only imagine what this man thinks stems cells do. He went on to claim that "global warming" (which the rest of us have agreed is actually climate change) isn't born out by the science because is hasn't yet been proved. Good grief, people. Let this be a litmus test.

How I can guess how you feel about evolution.

So everyone has I'm sure noticed the complete polarization of every issue lately. Does it seem like the same people that complain about gay marriage becoming a real possibility are the same people that deny climate change? While this may seem like an overgeneralization, think about it. Do you know anyone who supports pro-choice values but adamantly denies evolution? A recent study suggests there may be science behind this pattern of political/social/scientific thinking. 

‘Cultural cognition’ is a new term that describes this process of assessing scientific information based on group values. Individuals consciously or subconsciously determine the risks associated with subscribing to a particular set of beliefs. These cultural patterns predict how an individual will react to information more readily than any other factor including race, socio-economic class, gender, education, or political ideology. For example: 

‘People with individualistic values, who prize personal initiative, and those with hierarchical values, who respect authority, tend to dismiss evidence of environmental risks, because the widespread acceptance of such evidence would lead to restrictions on commerce and industry, activities they admire. By contrast, people who subscribe to more egalitarian and communitarian values are suspicious of commerce and industry, which they see as sources of unjust disparity. They are thus more inclined to believe that such activities pose unacceptable risks and should be restricted.’ 

 In the first group of people, picture your favorite conservative businessmen who doesn’t appreciate big government. Do they want to be told that they can’t log a certain forest, produce an unlimited amount of pollution, or have to pay their workers from a foreign country a living wage? Absolutely not. Now take the second group: your typical Commie who believes in recycling and public health care. Yikes. Therefore, can you see how if a certain scientific idea becomes aligned with one group, it will automatically alienate the other? The opposing group must fight the new idea if only to maintain the political divide that was created long ago. 

So how does the scientific community combat this polarization? Well, that’s where our (your!) mission begins. Science shouldn’t be used to promote political ideology or increase business profits; it should remain unbiased. This is a noble goal in today’s society. However, there are two  main strategies to begin with. 

1. Present information in a way that does not threaten people’s values, but is aligned with them. 
2. Provide a diversity of experts on a particular subject with factual, unbiased information. 

Seems like common sense... right? 

* Dan Kahan. 'Fixing the communications failure.' Nature, Vol 463. 21 January 2010.

Watch. Be amazed.

Always my first post on this topic, renowned photographer Frans Lanting perfectly captures the essence of evolution throughout the natural world's geological and biological history. Stunning in its simplicity and the reverence with which he treats his subject matter, this is a starting point for anyone interested in a visual history of the ever-changing planet.

LIFE: A Journey Through Time