quote:I am shocked and very saddened to have just gotten the news that Michael E. N. Majerus, Cambridge lepidopterist and world expert on the peppered moth and the evolution of melanism (and many other topics, e.g. ladybirds), has unexpectedly died after a short illness. This is very hard to understand, as he was quite young and in the midst of a very productive career.
I admit that I was interested in his work mostly from evolution/creationism angle, and there is a lot more to his life and his work than that, but I want it noted that Majerus on many occasions went out of his way to not just do good science but to help improve the public understanding of science and evolution. For example, he communicated helpfully with several of us on PT who wrote on the peppered moth issue, he wrote and talked for scientists, educators, and the public on the issue, including this great radio interview and this just-published piece in Evolution: Education, and Outreach, “Industrial Melanism in the Peppered Moth, Biston betularia: An Excellent Teaching Example of Darwinian Evolution in Action.” Google PT on Majerus for many other discussions. Finally, Majerus maintained an amazing sense of composure in the face of what was a pretty ridiculous set of attacks on the peppered moth example from the media and creationists (which resulted, I am convinced, in the peppered moth getting inappropriately dropped from several textbooks). Instead of getting mad and indignant, which would have been perfectly appropriate and understandable responses, Majerus went back to the field and gathered more data, tested the mainstream hypothesis again, and even changed the mind of some of his scientific critics.
Go to the source article for the links I didn't reproduce in the above quote, plus much more.
quote:Manute Bol, a lithe 7-foot-7 shot-blocker from Sudan who spent 10 seasons in the NBA and was dedicated to humanitarian work in Africa, died Saturday. He was 47.
A thoroughly class act.
Quite a few years ago I watched the celebrity boxing match between Bol and William (the refrigerator) Perry. As I recall, not a lot of action but Bol won the decision.
Earlier this weekend I had been browsing through the first Rolling Stone Record Guide (the red one), and I encountered the album jacket for "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan". I wondered who the woman was - Now I find out.
Professor, geology, Whatsamatta U Evolution - Changes in the environment, caused by the interactions of the components of the environment.
"Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle and will piss on your computer." - Bruce Graham
"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." - John Kenneth Galbraith
"Yesterday on Fox News, commentator Glenn Beck said that he believes President Obama is a racist. To be fair, every time you watch Glenn Beck, it does get a little easier to hate white people." - Conan O'Brien
"I know a little about a lot of things, and a lot about a few things, but I'm highly ignorant about everything." - Moose
Professor, geology, Whatsamatta U Evolution - Changes in the environment, caused by the interactions of the components of the environment.
"Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle and will piss on your computer." - Bruce Graham
"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." - John Kenneth Galbraith
"Yesterday on Fox News, commentator Glenn Beck said that he believes President Obama is a racist. To be fair, every time you watch Glenn Beck, it does get a little easier to hate white people." - Conan O'Brien
"I know a little about a lot of things, and a lot about a few things, but I'm highly ignorant about everything." - Moose
Oh, and some "Mike Wallace" guy also died - (May 9, 1918 April 7, 2012)
Moose
Professor, geology, Whatsamatta U Evolution - Changes in the environment, caused by the interactions of the components of the environment.
"Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle and will piss on your computer." - Bruce Graham
"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." - John Kenneth Galbraith
"Yesterday on Fox News, commentator Glenn Beck said that he believes President Obama is a racist. To be fair, every time you watch Glenn Beck, it does get a little easier to hate white people." - Conan O'Brien
"I know a little about a lot of things, and a lot about a few things, but I'm highly ignorant about everything." - Moose
A couple of nights ago I was watching Steven Wright videos on youtube. That led to looking up the Wiki article on him, then to George Carlin and black humor. The black humor wiki led to Blazing Saddles which led to the Alex Karras article. There I found out that it had just been announced that he had kidney failure and had been given only a few days to live.
I found this to be a strange way to have discovered the news.
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