“Leonardo’s Mountain of Clams and the Diet of Worms” by Stephen Jay Gould

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  • Context limits but also provides insight
  • “False facts are highly injurious to the progress of science, for they often endure long; but false views, if supported by some evidence, do little harm, for every one takes a salutary pleasure in proving their falseness.” Darwin
  • Things, especially cave paintings, often do not progress from simple to complex
  • The Theory of Evolution is not a Theory of Progression, it is a Theory of Better Adaptation
  • Evolution tends towards bushiness, not singularity
  • Known events do not preclude unknown events
  • Heritage does not guarantee preservation like biology can, but heritage can evolve much faster
  • When in doubt, go to the primary documents
  • We are not willing to fully embrace evolution because we are not ready for humans to be less important
  • Question simple explanations, few things are actually simple
  • Wealth can help genius be exposed
  • Evolution is constantly adapting to current circumstances, not to overall complexity
  • Question the explanations you know best, they are often wrong
  • Many creatures “simplify” as they diversify

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