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7+ Obras 164 Miembros 2 Reseñas

Sobre El Autor

Daniel J. Fairbanks is one of the foremost contemporary scholars of Gregor Mendel. His books and articles have dispelled pervasive Mendelian myths, clarified the influence of Darwin on Mendel, and brought to light new evidence of Mendel's scientific discoveries and influence. For his contributions, mostrar más he received the 2017 Mendel Memorial Medal from the Mendelianum of the Moravian Museum in Brno, where Mendel lived and conducted his famous experiments. Fairbanks is professor of biology and university research officer at Utah Valley University (UVU), where previously he was dean of the College of Science. Prior to joining UVU, he was a professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Brigham Young University. He is a geneticist specializing in the history of genetics, evolutionary genetics, plant genetics and breeding, and international scientific development. Fairbanks is the author or coauthor of six scholarly books and more than sixty scientific articles. He is also an accomplished artist, with sculpture, paintings, and drawings in museum, public, and private collections in the United States, Latin America, and Europe. mostrar menos

Obras de Daniel J. Fairbanks

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Marginal. The author purports to demonstrate evolution through DNA, and he does give some various examples of how evolution is printed in human DNA. It's okay as far as it goes (which isn't really all that far), but the author speaks way above the head of most laypeople, making it useless for me to assign to my freshmen students who haven't had a college biology class before. In the final two chapters, he purports to demonstrate that science and religion are fully compatible; I read with interest to see if there is anything new. Alas, no. He does a good job of detailing the history of conflict between the church and evolution, and gives a decent description (one of the better that I've read) of the fallout from the Scopes trial. But his argument in the end boils down to the same argument always given: Look, here are these scientists, and they believe in God and evolution. This is not evidence that they are compatible, since it is fully possible for the human brain (even rational scientists) to entertain totally incompatible thoughts, and to hold onto them for a long time. He also says it is telling that Darwin did not include reference to a Creator in his first edition of Origin; I agree, but I don't think it says what he thinks it says, and even if he did, a reference to a creator that is widely believed by the reading public is not evidence of the compatibility of religion and science, merely the compatibility of religion and marketing. Overall, not a total wash as a book, but somewhat tepid in spite of his full throated support of evolutionary theory.… (más)
 
Denunciada
Devil_llama | Jul 20, 2017 |
Everyone Is African: How Science Explodes The Myth of Race
By Daniel J. Fairbanks
Prometheus Books
Reviewed by Karl Wolff

What is race? This remains an important, relevant, and controversial question. Sociologists, public policy makers, presidential candidates, and talking heads each offer their own take on the situation. But one should also look at the science behind race. Daniel J. Fairbanks, the dean of the College of Science and Health at Utah Valley University, goes back to first principles in his new book, Everyone Is African: How Science Explodes The Myth of Race. For good and ill, humans organize a seemingly chaotic world through the creation of patterns. Throughout history and into the present, race has been one of these patterns. It is a factor that effects everything from the most mundane bureaucratic interaction to the grand national narrative. How do you self-identify on the race question? What box do you check on your Driver's License, Insurance Form, College Application? Fairbanks begins his book with the story of Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court case that invalidated Virginia's miscegenation statute. Up until 1969, when the law was repealed, it was a felony for a blacks and whites to intermarry.

Fairbanks then takes a step back and explores what race actually is. He centers his discussion on DNA and heredity. For centuries, we have classified people according to race, because that is how we see people. DNA analysis represents a cognitive leap. Whether discussing Neanderthals or the racist origin of the word Caucasian, he brings it back to the DNA. Unlike skin color, we can't see DNA with the naked eye, yet it effects physical appearance. Instead of race, we should see how race is distinct from the concept of ancestry. So while those who appear outwardly African in appearance, they may also have European or Native American ancestry. Race is an easy shortcut when it comes to classification. Ancestry is much more complicated.

In the book, Fairbanks covers topics like skin color, race and health, and race and intelligence. He discusses sickle cell anemia, The Bell Curve, and how we perceive race. For a book under 200 pages, it covers a lot of ground. When #BlackLivesMatter dominates the headlines, along with the racist swill emanating from Donald Trump's word-hole, this book is highly relevant. Also, it comes from a publisher committed to sane rational discussions on otherwise explosive topics. Finally, Everyone Is African is popular science in the best sense of the term. It is written in lively prose and meant for the widest possible audience. It doesn't purport to "solve race," but it does clarify this important and controversial topic in a concise package.

Out of 10/9.0

http://www.cclapcenter.com/2016/02/book_review_everyone_is_africa.html
… (más)
 
Denunciada
kswolff | Feb 12, 2016 |

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Obras
7
También por
4
Miembros
164
Popularidad
#129,117
Valoración
4.2
Reseñas
2
ISBNs
15

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