EVER NOTICE HOW THE PEOPLE MAKING THAT DEMAND DON'T THEMSELVES?:

Understanding evolution is crucial to debate (Sally Lehrman, August 9, 2007, Boston Globe)

Darwin's brilliant theory, a powerful and central concept in biology, offers a path toward understanding everything else: the history of our universe, the world we inhabit, and ourselves. The theory turns on the idea of random variation -- mutations in our genome -- that can enable a population to adjust collectively to the environment in which it finds itself. The best-suited creatures for that situation breed successfully and so pass on these useful characteristics to offspring. [...]

Data pouring out of genetic research has challenged some of scientists' assumptions about the multibranched tree of life and offered new insight on the basic tools for living that all species share. While geneticists until recently thought that random mutations in the genes drove adaptation, they are now cracking windows onto processes outside of the DNA that can change gene function for generations. A grandmother's diet, even a parent's nurturing, may influence evolution's course.

Thankfully, she's not a teacher, given that the second paragraph repudiates the first.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 9, 2007 7:02 AM