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Improbable Destinies
Improbable Destinies: Fate, Chance, and the Future of Evolution | Jonathan B. Losos
10 posts | 6 read | 1 reading | 11 to read
A major new work overturning our assumptions about how evolution works Earths natural history is full of fascinating instances of convergence: phenomena like eyes and wings and tree-climbing lizards that have evolved independently, multiple times. But evolutionary biologists also point out many examples of contingency, cases where the tiniest changea random mutation or an ancient butterfly sneezecaused evolution to take a completely different course. What role does each force really play in the constantly changing natural world? Are the plants and animals that exist today, and we humans ourselves, inevitabilities or evolutionary freaks? And what does that say about life on other planets? Jonathan Losos reveals what the latest breakthroughs in evolutionary biology can tell us about one of the greatest ongoing debates in science. He takes us around the globe to meet the researchers who are solving the deepest mysteries of life on Earth through their work in experimental evolutionary science. Losos himself is one of the leaders in this exciting new field, and he illustrates how experiments with guppies, fruit flies, bacteria, foxes, and field mice, along with his own work with anole lizards on Caribbean islands, are rewinding the tape of life to reveal just how rapid and predictable evolution can be. Improbable Destinies will change the way we think and talk about evolution. Losos's insights into natural selection and evolutionary change have far-reaching applications for protecting ecosystems, securing our food supply, and fighting off harmful viruses and bacteria. This compelling narrative offers a new understanding of ourselves and our role in the natrual world and the cosmos.
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rwmg
Pickpick

For the most part I managed to follow the examples and arguments presented, which made me feel clever, but I don't have the background knowledge to be able to tell whether the author is pulling the wool over my eyes with cherry-picked examples and omission of details which would be obvious to a better informed reader.

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rwmg
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Tamra This is perfect for my grad class on Darwin right now - too bad I don‘t have extra reading time right now! 4y
10 likes1 comment
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shanaqui
Pickpick

In the end, I think this book was rather undermined by the way it seemed to lay a ton of evidence out for determinism, but ending in a rather bet hedging sort of way. In the end, though Losos is discussing a rather groundbreaking idea, his ending is wishy washy. Still, fascinating stuff about various studies, and some good arguments both for and against.

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shanaqui
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Cwtching up in bed (yes, autocorrect, I did mean c w t c h ing! You should know this by now!) with a nice book.

Incidentally, this bookmark illustrates one of the reasons I love free bookmarks. Some of them are so cool, but cost nothing!

Hooked_on_books It‘s a pretty fabulous bookmark! 6y
7 likes1 comment
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shanaqui
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"Curiously, the fingertips of koalas are covered with ridges and whorls so similar to our own that experts are hard-pressed to distinguish between fingerprints of koalas and humans."

Did not know this! CSI Australia, anyone?

9 likes1 stack add
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shanaqui
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Anyone else always take the slipcover off? They can be lovely, great for display, but I hate the way they feel, and given my Raynaud's disease, they can end up getting really smudged by my sweaty hands. 😥 I do think there's something dignified about a naked hardback -- can't put into words why that's the word that comes to mind, though!

Interested to read more of this one since it responds to Gould's Wonderful Life, which I read recently.

Karkar I take it off while I am reading, but leave it on when it is on the book shelf. 6y
shanaqui @Karkar Oh yeah, always! It looks nice and protects the book! I just dislike it when trying to read. 6y
9 likes2 comments
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Chelsibeau
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This was due back a while ago. I always feel guilty when a book is overdue and I see holds on it. But we had a burlesque party this weekend and dressing up was kinda worth it.....

Captivatedbybooks You worked that outfit girlll!!! 7y
DogEaredBooks Ditto @Captivatedbybooks said. You look 🔥🔥🔥 7y
See All 8 Comments
CouronneDhiver Wow! You look great - hope you had a fab time! 7y
SilversReviews Where were you able to find a corset? 😎 7y
Chelsibeau @DogEaredBooks @CouronneDhiver thanks! It was too much fun I think....🍺🥂 7y
Chelsibeau @SilversReviews I got it on amazon which I was worried about because I kind of had to guess my size but it worked out ok. 7y
SilversReviews @Chelsibeau Go Amazon. It looks good. 7y
56 likes8 comments
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Chelsibeau
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Excited for this one. Finished the preface and it sounds like it is going to be fascinating but fun. It's hard to make evolution a light read. #readnonfiction

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charliemarlowe
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Pickpick

I finally remembered to upload a picture of a book here while I had it on my iPad! (I usually download them to my computer to edit them to post them on Instagram!)

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MrBook
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#TBRtemptation post 3! Just released. I like the cover. A major new work confronting assumptions about evolution and the planet. There is the concept of convergence, the one on contingency, the butterfly effect theory. Is life a bunch of inevitabilities or are we just freaks? He looks at guppies, bacteria, mice, lizards, and more. His ideas apply in conservation, food supplying, inoculations, etc. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

rwmg Wishlisted 7y
64 likes6 stack adds1 comment