Some arguments never evolve

When the word mutation is heard, it’s not usually associated with books.
    
On the Origin of the Species, by Charles Darwin, is one of the most famous scientific publications of all time, but on Nov. 24, the 150th anniversary of its publication, a new, ‘evolved’ version of the book was distributed on campuses across the country.
    
Creationist Ray Comfort and Living Waters Publications are planning on distributing their own version of the book at 100 universities in the States and 24 in Canada. Comfort’s version of the book includes a special introduction written by Ray Comfort and is missing a few key chapters that were in the original text.
    
Comfort was unable to be reached for comment, but stated in a press release on his website that, “nothing has been removed. The book that we will be giving to students is the complete edition. Charles Darwin said that both perspectives should be given, and we are giving both in a 50-page Introduction. Like Darwin, we want people to read the two points of view and make up their own minds.”
    
Comfort went on to add “When I read On the Origin of Species, I was very impressed with Charles Darwin. If he was alive today, I am sure that he would be one of Disney’s imagineers, or earn big bucks as a Hollywood screenwriter for science-fiction movies. He had a fantastic imagination.”
    
Steve Heard, Chair of the Biology Department, hadn’t initially heard of the planned distribution of the book with the special introduction written by Comfort. Heard said that there isn’t as much of a political push with creationism and intelligent design in Canada as there is in the States.
    
“It’s harmless when people talk about what they think. In the States, what’s not harmless is attempts to get creationism taught in public schools as science.” Attempts to have creationism taught in public schools have been uncommon in Canada compared to the number of attempts in the United States.
    
It’s both silly and also important. It’s silly in the sense that he and others will tell you at great length that there is lots of scientific doubt about evolution, but thats just not true. Evolution by natural selection is in about as much doubt as gravity. Actually less, we don’t know that much about gravity but we understand evolution in great detail.
    
The Biology Department is putting on a series of three lectures relating to Darwin. The year 2009 is both the 150th anniversary of the publishing of On the Origin of the Species and Darwin’s 200th birthday. On Tuesday Dec. 1, Michael Higgins will be lecturing on the interesting history of evolution and religion. The final lecture, from Ross Leckie on Darwin’s influence on the arts, will be presented on Dec. 8.