Yeah, I gave a talk at Skepticon like several other rascals here at Freethoughtblogs. Now, even if you didn’t make the pilgrimage to Springfield, Missouri, you can watch it too.
It’s a straight science talk with several swipes at creationism, so unfortunately, I don’t think it will make any ice cream salesmen cry.
(Also on Sb)
That’s a mean, baby-eating look you have on your face there.
I’ll be back in 41 minutes, and 59 seconds!
Fine, but you’re forbidden to enter my “Life by Design” store.
Glen Davidson
Paris Hilton of atheists?
“The Paris Hilton of atheist”
Lololol. This is how I plan to introduce you when you come to WSU. =D
I was just sitting down to watch it. I saw the presentations of Rebecca Watson and Dan Barker last night and they were both good.
Sounds like I need to pretend PZ is a Sigma Xi lecturer. Go Biology!
For years I thought DNA would be mean and lean through evolution. It’s only been recently that I’ve learned there’s a lot of “junk”. I learned new things today about what some of the junk is.
Great video.
Oh, PZ: C. elegans. You had to go *there* didn’t you? ;)
Fun talk. tl;dr: we’re weirder than you could possibly imagine (without science).
(Although, technically, it might also mean that Fugu are God’s
chosendesigned ones.)I’m a teacher too. You have the gift, sir. Amazing lecture on some really arcane but important stuff. I wish I was that good.
Clean up in aisle eleven, somebody knocked over that damned Jesus Spam display again… durned kids.
Great talk, PZ.. I love learning new stuff.
Cool.. make a sarcastic dig, and upon refresh:
Blog has been removed
Sorry, the blog at endallreligion-beginarelationship.blogspot.com has been removed. This address is not available for new blogs.
It’s like the Google Gods heard my prayer… or randomly did my bidding..or something.
Skip to 2:20 if you want to avoid Rebecca Watson and the self-congratulatory stuff.
Fantastic Talk PZ.
I knew of Junk DNA since around the early 2000s when it was really getting traction. Obviously the surprise was felt even for the non-scientist like me. It made sense to me though, Evolution is a blind watchmaker after all.
How the Fugu (and others, I’m sure they’re more) have rid themselves of the Junk DNA would be really interesting to study.
And if the Junk DNA is (as far as we know) mostly viral in nature. Would that mean say Great White Shark DNA also very neat? since it’s not common for Sharks to catch a cold.
On another point. It’s odd that in nature (in the case of our DNA) we have only 1% of actual coding and 1.5% in regulation… I wonder if that could work on Wall St?
If you give them enough rope…
No no, PZ, you don’t understand. All this junk DNA came about as a result of The Fall. Adam and Eve didn’t have any junk DNA. They were genetically perfect, direct from the hand of God, just like the signs say at the Creation Museum. That’s why incest was okay back then.
Telomeres? Way back then, they didn’t erode, or at least not as quickly. That’s how the patriarchs could live for hundreds of years.
Of course, some species have fallen farther than others. Fugu hasn’t fallen very far at all. Have you ever seen a fugu eating an apple? Neither have I.
As for onions — my daughter hates onions with a passion. I’m sure she would have no trouble believing that the entire Allium genus has fallen very far indeed (with the possible exception of garlic).
Nice one, PZ.
Did Fugu “rid itself” of junk DNA, or just never accumulate it ?
Skip comment @13 if you want to aviod a gilipollas.
Don Quijote
Cool! A new word for me.
I may be sick but I found that fun.
Now just to make sure I got it right the two thinks you are saying are:
1……DNA is really complicated therefore — GOD.
2…….DNA has stuff with as yet unrecognized origin or function therefore — GOD OF THE GAPS.
Praise the lord, I have seen the light!