I saw a preview of that show several times and tend to agree, on both a philosophical basis and also a logical one from knowing a little about evolutionary theories. The reason why Stephen Jay Gould is beloved by so many readers is not his research or fundamental arguments (though they're pretty good) but the perspective that evolution is radically egalitarian on a broad scale (not on a local scale), including any claims to priorities for "higher organisms" (whatever that means), complexity, brain capacity, and so forth. The planarian has at least as good a claim to wonder as a living unicorn (if there were such). [Rant mode off.]
(Side note on Gould: I understand other biologists were peeved at Gould not only for his egotism but also how he represented his colleagues in his popular writings, or sometimes didn't)
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2003-01-02 08:27 pm (UTC)(Side note on Gould: I understand other biologists were peeved at Gould not only for his egotism but also how he represented his colleagues in his popular writings, or sometimes didn't)