Imagine a world where different species live in close partnerships, essential for their survival. Tune in for a journey through millions of years of evolutionary cooperation, proving that in nature, no species is an island.

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Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

Music in this Episode

• Bright White by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Pink Gradient Hey by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Tra-la-la by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
  
• Wook by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Special guest Blake Touchet from the National Center for Science Education joins the show to discuss what teachers and educators can do both in and out of the classroom.

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Please consider becoming a show Patron to help keep new episodes coming!

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

You can also check out the new YouTube channel!

Music in this Episode

• Frogs by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Chipper Dan by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Program Reverie by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Easygoing by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Blake Touchet from the National Center for Science Education joins me to discuss the age-old phrase that evolution is "Only a Theory".

Please consider becoming a show Patron to help keep new episodes coming!

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

You can also check out the new YouTube channel!

Music in this Episode

• Twinkie by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Jack by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• On a Wing by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

From ancient Conodonts to modern-day rattlesnakes, venom has independently evolved in a diverse array of creatures including snakes, spiders, scorpions, and even mammals like the platypus. Discover how venom serves as both a weapon for predation and a defense mechanism, and learn the crucial differences between venomous and poisonous animals.

Please consider becoming a show Patron to help keep new episodes coming!

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

You can also check out the new YouTube channel!

Music in this Episode

• Saver by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Trader Ho Hey by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Mute Groove by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
  
• Skepto by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

In this episode, we delve into Charles Darwin's theory of Evolution by Natural Selection and explore the alternative philosophical perspective of Henri Bergson. While Darwin's mechanistic view emphasizes random mutations and natural selection, Bergson introduces the concept of élan vital—a creative force driving life's complexity and direction.

Please consider becoming a show Patron to help keep new episodes coming!

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

You can also check out the new YouTube channel!

Music in this Episode

• Pretty Melody by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Easy Going by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Curious Process by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
  
• Squiggly Line 1 by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

The concept of superposition exists in both quantum mechanics and evolutionary geology. We start with the strange and counterintuitive world of quantum physics, where particles exist in multiple states until observed. Then, we journey back to 1666 where another kind of superpositionwas discovered—this time in rock layers - allowing us to read Earth's history through its geological layers.

Please consider becoming a show Patron to help keep new episodes coming!

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

You can also check out the new YouTube channel!

Music in this Episode

• Three Colors by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Submerging Blue-Black by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Floating by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
  
• Chimera by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

What if consciousness, much like the architectural 'spandrels' we talked about before, isn't actually crucial to our survival? Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin argued that some traits might just be byproducts, not directly selected for their utility. We'll unravel this thread by retracing the steps of René Descartes on a cold night in 1619 when he conceived ideas that challenged our understanding of reality. Was his revelation in a cozy 'oven' room the birth of modern philosophy, or a deeper insight into the illusions crafted by our own minds? Descartes' meditations prompted us to doubt our senses and the very nature of reality, suggesting that maybe, just maybe, our lives are nothing but elaborate deceptions.

Please consider becoming a show Patron to help keep new episodes coming!

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

You can also check out the new YouTube channel!

Music in this Episode

• Ghost by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Steppin Into by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Lilywhite by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Do our thoughts serve a purpose, or are they just a byproduct of something deeper? Consciousness studies bridge the realms of philosophy and science. Are we truly aware, or is it all just an illusion?

Please consider becoming a show Patron to help keep new episodes coming!

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

Music in this Episode

• Horn Haze by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Gentle Heart by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
• Grebe by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com