by Richard William Nelson | Aug 17, 2022
Variation is the first of the five principles of natural selection introduced by Charles Darwin in The Origin of Species. Darwin explains –
“Natural Selection acts exclusively by the preservation and accumulation of variations,”
Niles Eldredge, of the American Museum of Natural History, introduced the V.I.S.T.A. framework to codify the principles of Darwin’s theory. Darwin’s five structural principles of natural selection are variation, inheritance, selection, time, and adaptation.
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by Richard William Nelson | May 27, 2022
Logic and science play crucial roles in understanding how nature works. Importantly, however, there are distinct types of logic and methods in science. Selecting the appropriate type of logic and science is crucial for developing scientifically valid explanations.
Charles Darwin applied various logic and scientific methods in his life-long quest to explain how Earth’s biosphere works. The story of his quest is fascinating, giving insight into how the interplay of logic and science still influences modern evolution research.
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by Richard William Nelson | Sep 17, 2020
Public schools require the teaching of evolution as a scientific theory. Amazingly, no science organization in the twenty-first century has successfully developed a scientific consensus on evolution.
Science organizations have a privileged responsibility for developing and publishing a consensus on important issues. While a scientific consensus is not synonymous with absolute truth, it guides the public on what is considered scientifically valid.
Science Organizations
Eighteen science organizations, from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to the American Medical Association (AMA), currently have a consensus statement on climate change. While the consensus on climate change from leading science organizations is silent on a scientific consensus on evolution, the message is clear.
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by Richard William Nelson | Apr 3, 2019
Within just months of returning from a 5-year voyage on the HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin was quick to start working on a new theory in what he called his “notebooks.” The year was 1837. Etched in a leathery notebook with the letter “B” on the cover, now known as Notebook B, with Darwin’s tree diagram.
Starting with “1” at the tree trunk, the twigs and branches represent relationships between species, like a family tree. Species were indicated with sequential letters; simple enough.
Scientists, however, have become increasingly skeptical of Darwin’s tree metaphor to explain how biology works. “Evolution is trickier, far more intricate, than we had realized,” David Quammen explains in his new book entitled The Tangled Tree (2018). Somehow, Darwin’s tree got tangled. What happened?
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by Richard William Nelson | Jan 26, 2018
The industry’s longest-running research experiment reached a milestone in October, studying the evolution of more than 68,000 generations.
Biologist Richard Lenski (pictured right below) initiated the now legendary experiment in his laboratory early in 1988, using 12 flasks seeded with genetically identical bacteria known as Escherichia coli (E. coli).
Since then, the bacteria have been growing in a carefully measured solution of glucose, a type of sugar—”food” for bacteria. Each flask contained a sparse amount of glucose to create a stressful environment, along with a high concentration of citrate, a molecular cousin of glucose, which pushed the bacteria to adapt. Since 1988, Lenski’s laboratory team has transferred a small sample of the new 50 mL Erlenmeyer flasks every day.
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Public schools require the teaching of evolution as a 
