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Friday, September 19, 2008

"Evolutionary biologist?" - how about "Historical biologist"?

Over the years, various people who claim to be "evolutionary biologists" (= "novelist who writes about things that happened more than 50 000 years ago.") have been disgruntled that I refer to them as "Darwinists."

They swallow Darwinian theories hook line and sinker, even when those theories are falling apart under the weight of the evidence. So I call them Darwinists or Darwin fans, or whatever.

The old Brit toff Darwin is their patron saint, Lord knows why, and there is no help for that.

But I asked friends whether it wouldn't be better to call them "historical biologists."

A vigorous discussion ensued, and the majority favoured evolutionary historian.

Well, m friends are probably right. A "historical biologist" could be Linnaeus, for example, or Jean-Henri Fabre. An "evolutionary historian" sounds more like Richard Dawkins's Ancestors' Tale. And that , suely, is the correct note.

Find out why there is an intelligent design controversy:

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