evo devo oh no
Last week, I was busy helping Helen, one of my PIs, organize a science exhibition she’s managing at CCCB. The main objective of the exhibit was supposed to be all about meshing hard core theoretical evolutionary science with the arts in order to communicate properly to the public about its history and advancements.
Unfortunately, even Mr. Kenji–the middle-aged, kind Japanese postdoc I work with–agreed that the exhibition was a flop. He said most contemporary artists took a rather ironic approach to evolution, focusing too much on classical interpretations (Darwinian and Lamarckian) and injecting political themes like climate change and GMOs. Mr. Kenji emphasized that the theory of evolution has evolved itself over the years, thanks to brilliant minds like Mendel, Margulis, Griffith, Kölreuter, and others who redefined Darwin's initial theory. As such, he believes it’s only fair that the public be informed of the elaborated version.
Perhaps that German square from Max Planck, who spoke during the said event, had a point when he said that the educators have failed to teach the theory of evolution, hence the crux of life science, correctly to students. He argued that people only have a surface-level understanding of evolution, which is problematic because it's more than just our relationship with apes or natural selection—it's a way of life, a philosophy of some sort.
He went on some more and said that the education system is flawed and outdated in teaching complex scientific theories like evolution and relativity and the like. He argued that most educators restrict learning by sticking to the old-fashioned methods of teaching that force students to read and memorize long ass formulas and concepts without allowing them to truly digest the importance of learning about these stuff to begin with. “We reap what we sow,” he said, “and created a culture who has shied away from learning and asking questions, a culture complacent and uncritical about what is posted on the world wide web.”
Going back to the exhibition, he mentioned that it was, at least, successful in raising awareness of biocentrism —the idea that humans are part of a larger ecosystem, not the center of the universe (anthropocentrism). We coexist with viruses, bacteria, flowers, butterflies, bees, criminals, dictators, the cosmos, you name it. Although the right and the left hemispheres of our brain express knowledge and creativity quite uniquely, they agree on a most fundamental truth about evolution and human beings—that is, we are late bloomers in the tree of life. And when we start to admit to ourselves that we know nothing and that we are merely dust, life magically opens up to us.
All I could think of was, wow. I commend him so much for successfully covering up all the intellectual dryness underneath it all. No joke. That square couldn’t have said it better. He was a passionate speaker. I’d give him that. At least passionate nuff to whitewash all his pretentiousness.
Sorry. But to be honest, I don’t entirely buy into all his flowery rhetoric, C. While he raised valid points about the education system lagging behind the “ideal”, I caught him red-handed during lunch break, discussing the same topics he spoke of with a Chinese scientoast only he missed out a teensy bit of vital info in his main speech–the part where he bragged about how Germany's education system is flawless and world class and apparently should be considered as “the ideal.”
The Chinese scientoast totally mic dropped on him and asked, “How could you even assume Germany’s education system is world class and “ideal”? Do you have any experience teaching abroad?”
Woof! I almost peed my pants from laughing non-stop inside. Poor German square went mute as a mouse. Apparently, for him, Germany’s still the center of the universe when it comes to class A education. Maybe there’s some truth to what he claims but exactly relative to which countries? So much for his advocacy on biocentrism that we, “Germans”, are not the center of the universe…
God. This kind of scientoast reminds me of those kinds Rupert Sheldrake subtly pointed out in his banned TED Talk who dominate academic institutes–the close-minded and ultra-dogmatic kind who are so disconnected from the rest of the world and the people living in it; the kind who are so certain they know the answer to all…
It’s so ironic, C, you’d think he’s the total opposite of that kind after hearing his flowery speech about how we know nothing and that we are merely dust kind of baloney...
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