Althouse: Have we stopped evolving?

February 13, 2007

Have we stopped evolving?

The ecosystem seems to be stuck.

21 comments:

Ruth Anne Adams said...: N.Z. Bear's been working on The Victory Caucus and shutting down earmarks in Congress.; 2/13/07, 12:53 PM
Ann Althouse said...: I was worried he fell out of his tree.; 2/13/07, 1:06 PM
TMink said...: Hmmm, that list puts my little photoblogs in the single cell organism category.

It is a start!

Trey; 2/13/07, 1:14 PM
PeterP said...: I was worried he fell out of his tree.

If you ever skin a bear - and when don't you? - you will find tiny stumps protruding from the serratus anterior muscle on either shoulder.

These stumps are evidence of evolution in action, being the remainders/reminders of the days (about three Tuesdays ago) when bears had wings and could fly.

Pigs, on the other hand, have no such stumps - hence our entirely rational suspicion that a flying pig is a complete porkie.

I love science. I could do it all day.; 2/13/07, 2:16 PM
paul a'barge said...: WTF. Where is Althouse in that list. How out of it can this guy be?; 2/13/07, 2:19 PM
Unknown said...: Why aren't the stumps on bears signs that someday bears will fly? Maybe they're growing wings. Seems like that would be an awesome evolutionary advantage and really help out those stuck polar bears.; 2/13/07, 2:44 PM
vbspurs said...: Althouse is listed teasingly at 102.

Two more links from Glenn, and she gets Playful Primate status, and a set a Ginzu Knives.

(Paid for by the Althouse Reader Kitty Slush Fund, of course. I believe Sippican is treasurer)

Cheers,
Victoria; 2/13/07, 3:24 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Well, it especially annoys me, because I was a primate for the longest time, and I slipped down to mammal, and now I'm trapped there.; 2/13/07, 3:59 PM
TMink said...: Hmmm, sounds like devolution to me. Are we not men?

Trey; 2/13/07, 4:05 PM
vbspurs said...: Well, it especially annoys me, because I was a primate for the longest time, and I slipped down to mammal, and now I'm trapped there.

I know, the Anchoress too.

But seriously, I didn't think you were the kind to care about that sort of thing.

OTOH, I've been a Crawly Amphibian forever and a day, despite my blog hits going up 300%.

I guess it becomes more of an issue in terms of recognition factor, the higher you go.

Why not just email the guy? I have before. He answers.

Cheers,
Victoria; 2/13/07, 4:06 PM
Eli Blake said...: That's why I have always chosen not to put a counter on my blog.

I blog because I enjoy it, or have something to say (whether it is to the wind or not, I don't know or care). If I put a counter on it then I'd start getting too stuck on the ego thing and then I'd be blogging for what I think are all the wrong reasons.; 2/13/07, 4:15 PM
Ann Althouse said...: And another thing is that a lot of blogs in the primate category actually have very low traffic, and some aren't really much of a blog at all. They just happen to have more links... not necessarily good links, just links. You know, a lot of people send out mass emails offering to trade links -- put me on your blogroll and I'll put you on mine. Of course, I won't do that. I have a blogroll that has something to do with recommending reading, not getting someone to link to me.; 2/13/07, 4:16 PM
PeterP said...: But seriously, I didn't think you were the kind to care about that sort of thing.

...Errr, who doesn't care? What is blogging if not vanity publishing for free?

I cherish ever one of the seventeen people who have visited my site. They are all superior Thetans. The rest of the world can go hang.

Tip for the day - and believe me I know - if you're going to have cancer for Heaven's sake have a rare one, not some embarrassingly demotic one like breast, bowel or lung.

Look deep in your psyche and ask yourself if you would not prefer to die of something really, really unusual. I know I did.; 2/13/07, 5:41 PM
Dave said...: Clearly evolution is a lie.; 2/13/07, 7:08 PM
Maxine Weiss said...: I see Valentine's Day gets about as much attention on the Althouse Blog, as Christmas did.

Peace, Maxine; 2/13/07, 7:41 PM
Simon said...: Maxine, perhaps that's because it isn't until tommorow?; 2/13/07, 8:06 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Ann asked :
"have we stopped evolving?"

Yes I did about 30 years ago. Can't speak for my blog though - you would have to ask it yourself.; 2/13/07, 8:11 PM
Maxine Weiss said...: It's Valentine's Eve.

I don't have high hopes, considering the past 3 Valentine's on the Althouse Blog.

Ann Althouse--she'll never change!

Oh well.

Anyway, Happy Valentines, Everyone, Everywhere!

Let the festivities begin!

Love, Maxine; 2/13/07, 9:35 PM
MadisonMan said...: The way to speed evolution is to cause a die-off and then occupy the niche that becomes vacant. I'm not suggesting violence, of course. That would be desperate.; 2/13/07, 9:37 PM
Matt Brown said...: I've done my part. I'm telling people on my blog to link to yours.; 2/14/07, 2:11 AM
Fen said...: Evolution is a very slow process rarely can it be recognized while it is happening

Huh? I thought it was sporadic, and sometimes as short as one generation?

[back of my mind - something from the discovery channel about pacific rim divers who's eyeballs adapted to underwater enviro [pressure and refraction] within a generation...?]

But then, I'm still swamp scum, so what do I know.; 2/14/07, 11:39 AM