A journey of discovery of what makes us who we are and the choices we make through topical issues
With negotations underway Ray Noble considers the reality of Brexit. The phony war is over. The truth is understood. Brexit isn't good. It isn't good for the economy, for jobs, for health and social care, for research, for fighting climate change, and so the negotiations now turn on how to ameliorate the harm it will do.
We are not alone in having a sense of fairness and justice. It is present in other cooperative mammals. In this episode of The Thin End Ray Noble considers intentions and purposive behaviour in wolves, apes and humans and its ethical consequences.
The Thin End discusses the work and influence of the evolutionaly biologist Lynn Margulis with Jim MacAillister, archivist for the Lynn Margulis Archive at University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Jim was a student and colleague of Lynn Margulis for the last decade of her life and converted her teaching materials and research video library to digital files. Here he shares some of his insights into the life and work of an extraordinary scientist and scholar.
Perry Marshall discusses with the Thin End his jouney of discovery and the background to writing his book Evolution 2.0.
The Thin End has been to the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies to discuss with Geoffrey Bamford how the Neo-Darwinian 'modern synthesis' has become a dogma by creating a rigid belief system.
In this second dialogue, Denis Noble, author of Dance to the Tune of LIfe, discusses whether there can be purpose and direction in evolution.
Thin End discusses with Professor Denis Noble his new book Dance to the Tune of Life and new ideas on evolution.
Trump says he wants to cancel the 2015 Paris agreement combatting climate change. It is an agreement signed by almost 200 nations. Is this Trump’s folly? Or do we need a new global politics?
There is a revolution of thought taking place in our understanding of evolution. It is moving us away from a gene-centred 'determinist' view of our lives, and replacing it with an 'open system view' where many factors influence evolution, including culture and environment in a dynamic interaction with organisms.
Good science comes from understanding its limitations, bad science from ignoring them. Scientists do not work in a bubble free from cultural, social, ethical or political influences. So does science need philosophy?
