Saturday, 27 October 2012

The THEORIES of evolution

In 2011 Professor Martin A Nowack published a book entitled Evolution, Altruism and Human Behaviour or Why We Need Each Other to Succeed.   
 
Nowack is professor of biology and mathematics at Harvard University and he was assisted in writing the book by Dr Roger Highfield, a former editor of New Scientist.
 
The book is reviewed in the current issue of Oxford Today and the following is taken from that review:
Nowack .... challenges Darwin's notion that evolution is based solely on principles of mutation and selection and points out that cooperation and collaboration, 'the snuggle for existence', have had a much more far-reaching influence on the development of life on Earth than individual self-interest.
In a wide-ranging and accessible introduction to his theories, he declares that 'cooperation is the architect of creativity throughout evolution' and demonstrates how it is essential to everyday life at every level.
Whether or not you accept Nowack's theories, superconductors is a thought-provoking, readable and thoroughly entertaining demonstration of intellectual virtuosity.
 
We often hear references to 'the theory of evolution' but in fact that there are various theories of evolution.  There is disagreement among evolutionists and Professor Nowack's theories are simply another contribution to that debate.

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