The Best of Our Knowledge # 906

Albany, NY – DARWINISM AND ITS DISCONTENTS -
Did life evolve? Or was it intelligently designed? Ever since the
publication of Charles Darwin's The Origin of the Species in 1859,
no scientific question has had so profound an impact on western
culture. Even today, questions of religion, evolution, and science
education are playing a role in the presidential debates, and may in
fact impact who ultimately is voted the next president. Dr. Michael
Ruse is a Professor at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He's
spent a career observing the ongoing cultural struggles between
evolutionists and creationists. A prolific author and founder of the
journal, Biology and Philosophy , Dr. Ruse himself favors evolution...
but is quick to flag instances of hypocrisy and overzealousness in both
positions. Ruse is a native of England, who emigrated first to Canada,
before arriving eight years ago at Florida State, where he how directs
the History and Philosophy of Science Program. His book is titled,
Darwinism and Its Discontents , from Cambridge University Press.
He spoke with TBOOK recently.
Glenn Busby reports. (9:23)

ORIGINS OF LIFE - SCIENCE RESEARCH IN EDUCATION SERIES
AN EMPIRICAL ORIGIN FOR THE GENETIC CODE:
THE ESCAPED TRIPLET THEORY -
In concert with our first story's discussion of evolution, our next guest
is hunting through the genetic code for the very first form of life. Dr.
Michael Yarus is a Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental
Biology at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Dr. Yarus believes
that since genetic code variations are so small among the tens of
thousands of organisms on Earth, scientists may be able to find first life.
He claims this could mean there was just a single group of creatures
whose descendants are the only life known on Earth...or for that matter, anywhere in the universe.
Glenn Busby reports. (9:00)

The preceding material is supported by the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration.

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